Officer David E. Ruiz

David was born October 1, 1955 in Washington, D.C., he was the fourth of eight children to George and Vidalina Ruiz. His father served in the US Air Force and David spent some of his childhood in Germany but grew up in San Antonio, TX. He graduated from John Jay High School in San Antonio, TX and enlisted in the Navy directly out high school. David served four years active duty before joining the Navy reserves and completing a total of 22 years of service. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Marketing and ultimately answered the call of the Dallas Police Department. 

He was sworn in and began working as a night shift patrol officer in downtown Dallas. He served with the Dallas Police for 32 years before retiring in 2017. When David retired from full-time service with the department, he immediately signed up for part-time work as a reserve officer. He loved being a “beat cop”, interacting with the public and keeping the community safe. He especially loved working on special assignments with the bicycle unit. David was honored with a Medal of Valor in 2011 for his efforts during an active shooter situation, one of the highest Dallas Police Department awards.  

In his personal life, he enjoyed serving our Lord Jesus Christ in the church, traveling and spending time with family and friends. David always joked that he was busier in retirement than when he was working, yet he still made the time to see his two grandchildren, Seychelle and Elijah, as often as possible. 

David passed away peacefully on August 22, 2021 after battling COVID-19. He is sorely missed by his children, David, Brittany, Christian, Sara, James, and Jennifer as well as his grandchildren, Seychelle and Elijah. Their hope is his memory will live on through the Officer David E. Ruiz Memorial Scholarship. As a life-long giver of his time and money to help those around him, we found it fitting to continue his legacy by providing this scholarship to the community that meant the most to him.