John & Ruby Zuniga

John & Ruby Zuniga, of Roeland Park, Kansas passed away together at their home on March 3, 2005. A Catholic Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday March 8, 2005, St Agnes Church, Roeland Park, Kansas to be followed by burial at White Chapel Cemetery in Gladstone, Missouri. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at McGilley Midtown Chapel, 20 W. Linwood, Kansas City, Missouri.

John Mejia Zuniga was born on August 29, 1915 in Juancharrey, Tepetongo Zacatecas and Ruby Rodriguez Zuniga was born February 7, 1920 in Kansas City, Kansas. They were united in marriage for 70 yrs and passed away from this world together, holding hands. They raised their children here in the K.C. area. John was a waiter and Ruby was a nurse. They leave behind their strong commitment of family and love in each of their children and their families. Together they take the next step in their journey to be reunited with their children, Richard and Ralph M Zuniga. They leave behind John R. Zuniga, Hope T. Zapien, Henry T. Zuniga and Anna Marie Borchardt, 22 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren. John is survived by his sister, Rebecca Rodriguez; and brother, David Correa. Ruby is survived by her sister, Margaret Rodriguez.

AFTER 70 YEARS, THEY COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT EACH OTHER

When John Zuniga realized his wife of 70 years was dying last week, he asked to hold her hand and, as tears welled in his eyes, whispered to his family: "She's going. I gotta go. I gotta go."

Ruby Zuniga, the woman he had called "Me dear" for nearly all of his life, died the next day of complications related to Alzheimer's disease. John Zuniga, still holding her hand, succumbed to pneumonia two hours later.

"their hands never left eahc other," said their granddaughter, Annalisa Zapien-Pina of Lee's Summit, Missouri. They took their final breaths Thursday, March 3, 2005, lying side by side in their Roeland Park home, a fitting end to what family menbers say was an inspiring love story.

"It's the way they wanted to go," Zapien-Pina said. "We kept them home, and they left together. I think it's just a great tribute to their love."

The couple lived at home with round-the-clock care from family members. Although John Zuniga, 89, suffered emphysema, family members said he still helped wife Ruby, 85, as she struggled with Alzheimer's.

"They had lived toghther for so many hears," their daughter, Hope Zapien of Kansas City, added. "They couldn't live without each other."

Today (March 8, 2005) their life together will be remembered in a joint funeral at St. Agnes Church in Roeland Park.