Obituary of Dr. Carmo D'Cruz

Dr. Carmo D’Cruz, passed away peacefully on Saturday January 30, 2021 at his home in Indian Harbor Beach surrounded by his loved ones.

He is survived by his loving wife, Sandra, of 32 years; sons Jason and Jonathan; and siblings Lavita, Leonita, Sr. Lina, and Clifton.

Carmo was born on March 13, 1958 in Mumbai, India. He came to the US in 1982 after graduating from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering. He obtained his Master of Electrical Engineering from Drexel University, Philadelphia while working for Bell Labs. He later moved to Austin, Texas in 1984 to work at Advanced Micro Devices as a Fab Engineer and got his MBA from the University of Texas. He moved to Dallas, Texas in 1989 to work for Hitachi and start his beautiful family. His learning continued and he received his PhD in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University, Dallas.

Carmo moved to Melbourne, Florida in 1996 to work for Harris Semiconductor and Tantivy. He loved Florida so much because the weather, beaches, and palm trees reminded him of Goa, India. He also taught as a part-time Professor at the
University of Central Florida and was instrumental in getting the 1st Partnership for Innovation Grant from the National Science Foundation. This became the cornerstone for the Innovation and Incubation Programs at UCF. He loved teaching and inspiring his students to innovate so he decided to do it full time and joined as an Associate Professor of Engineering Management at the Florida Institute of Technology.

He won several awards during his career including the Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellowship, Golden Quill Award from Harris Corporation, and the Faculty Excellence Award for Service from Florida Institute of Technology.

In addition to his academic excellence, he played field hockey at the national level in India and later coached the women’s field hockey team during his years at Drexel University. In 1988, he was selected to play field hockey for Team USA.

Carmo has been described by his family, friends, and peers as a kind-hearted, affectionate, and thoughtful person. Carmo was very proud of his two sons Jason and Jonathan and always pushed them and their friends, his nephews, and nieces to excel at Geography Bee, Spelling Bee, science fairs, sports, and academics. His care, concern, and professional advice helped many achieve their career goals.

Towards the end of his life, Carmo suffered multiple health setbacks but fought bravely till the very end.

A viewing will take place on Thursday, February 4, 2021, between 10am and 10:30am at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 3050 N Highway A1A, Indialantic, FL followed by eulogies. Funeral Mass will begin at 11am. For the friends and family that cannot attend in person, please click the link Virtual Funeral Mass to attend remotely. Burial will take place at St. Joseph’s Chapel Cemetery, 1422 NE Miller Street, Palm Bay, FL 32905 following the Mass.

To view the photo slide show please click the link below.

Photo Slide Show