Ruth Rita Wollos

April 29, 1921 - June 11, 2016

Ruth Rita Wollos passed away at home, 4:33 pm on June 11, 2016 at the age of 95 surrounded by family, two care givers and a family friend.

Ruth was born April 29, 1921 in Columbus, Ohio as the second child and only daughter of Helen Wilhelmina and Edwin Louis Heimlich.

As a child, Ruth learned to cook and clean early on which she often did for her father, mother and two brothers (Edwin and Richard). She graduated high school and attended Sacred Heart Business College.

Ruth met her future husband, Pat Wollos, at a roller rink: he happened to be her Mother's sarcastic butcher.... Pat asked Ruth, 21, to marry him in 1942, before he left for the South Pacific, serving as Second Class, Petty Officer, Pharmacist Mate, in the U.S. Navy, stationed in San Diego. Ruth left Ohio on November 1, 1942 for San Diego, to marry Pat on Nov. 14, 1942, at Saint Francis Chapel in Balboa Park, having only two days together before Pat was shipped off to war (WWII).

While Pat was abroad ('42-'45), Ruth found a home and worked as a teller downtown for San Diego Trust and Savings bank. Arriving home from the war, Pat told Ruth he would like to return to the family farm near Frazerburg, OH, but Ruth had fallen in love with San Diego along with its climate and told Pat, San Diego was where she wanted to stay! Ruth saved up enough money to buy a piece of property in Lemon Grove where she and Pat settled. Pat helped build her a beautiful home and brother Ed also decided to move to San Diego.

In 1948 Ruth and Pat welcomed their son, David, into the world: Ruth left San Diego Trust and Savings Bank (five years with the bank) to raise her son. Two years later she was working for California First Bank as a teller. While David was growing up Ruth, being of German descent, pushed him to achieve and strive for perfection in being neat and tidy: she instilled that everything had its place.

Ruth became an avid gardener, caring for their yard. David became responsible for several chores, including mowing the lawn. Ruth and Pat started square dancing, and soon David was taking lessons. David also loved baseball, playing for his high school team, with Ruth cheering him on through the years.

While continuing to climb the corporate ladder, at 42 Ruth found herself pregnant with her daughter, Nancy. This was a surprise 15 years after David's birth, to have a career as a loan officer and a newborn.... In those days, when pregnant women took leave, their position would not be available upon their return. They would have to start as teller; working their way back up.....Ruth would not give this policy any consideration. She wrote a letter to the bank president, detailing her years with the company, her goals and desire to return as loan officer with no demotion. The president granted her request, thus changing the policy for future maternity leave..... Ruth became a Loan Officer in 1968, named Assistant Vice President in 1979, Ruth stayed with the bank until 1986. (23 years in Lemon Grove branch and 13 years at the Consumer Center in Kearny Mesa) when she retired as a San Diego Region Loan Officer in the Consumer Lending Department as a Assistant Vice President. .

Deep down inside, Ruth would have loved to be a dancer. With the disruption of WWII, working and raising a family, she lived her dream through Nancy. Ruth encouraged Nancy to take tap and acrobatic lessons and at age seven encouraged her to take ballet lessons, which she continued to do until her 30's. Ruth wrote: if she had it to do all over again, becoming a dancer would have been her career choice.

Like David, Nancy had chores to do: dusting, cleaning her room, ironing pillow cases and weekly picking up leaves in the yard.

Ruth, along with Pat and their children, enjoyed and regularly attended the Lemon Grove Congregational Church (member since 1947). Also, she enjoyed trips with her husband and children, visiting places of interest in San Diego, preserves, beaches and trips. She also enjoyed visiting family in Ohio and David in New York City. Ruth loved animals and had three dogs and three cats in her life time in San Diego. She became a member of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and supported their issues. Her cat Mickey really misses her a lot.

Ruth enjoyed going out to Mexican Restaurants with her husband and children on Saturday nights and occasionally a movie. Ruth enjoyed swimming, skating, gardening and exercise classes. Her favorite places to go were New York City and Columbus, Ohio. In New York she loved to visit David and to see Broadway shows that David picked out for the family. In Ohio she loved to visit her brother, Richard and his family, her parents and other relatives.

Ruth is preceded in death by her husband, Pat Wollos (December 2, 1991) and her brother, Edwin Heimlich (June, 1997).

Ruth is survived by her son, David Wollos (Janis Best); daughter, Nancy Wollos-Bisesi (Leszek Murawski); grandson, Bartek Murawski; brother, Richard Heimlich and his two daughters, Julie Lockard (Jim), and Anita Elking (Rob). She is also survived by Ed's children, Judy Chance (Major) and Richard Paul (Aileen).

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations to be sent to any of the following organizations:

•American Asso. for Cancer Research

615 Chestnut Street, 17th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19106

215-446-7165

http://www.aacr.org

•International Society for Heart Research

P.O. Box 52643

Durham, NC 27717-2643

http://www.ishrworld.org

•American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

424 E. 92nd Street

New York, NY 10128-6804

212-876-7700

http://www.aspca.org

•Defenders of Animal Rights, Inc.

14412 Old York Road

Phoenix, MD 21131

410-527 1466

http://www.adopt-a-pet.org

•People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

501 Front Street

Norfolk, VA 23510

757-622-7282

http://www.peta.org

•Alley Cat Allies

7920 Norfolk Avenue, Ste. 600

Bethesda, MD 20814-2525

240-482-1980

http://www.alleycat.org

The family wishes to thank all of Ruth's caregivers who took such good care of her the last four and a half years, especially Cynthia Valadez. Also, a special thanks to Ruth’s neighbors for helping her physically and with the yard and for being such good neighbors.

Viewing Service is on Monday, June 27, 2016 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Conrad Lemon Grove Mortuary – 7387 Broadway, Lemon Grove, CA 91945. – (619) 460-4601

Celebration of Life and Repass is on Tuesday, June 28, 2016 from 10:00 to 12:30 p.m. at Lemon Grove Community Church, The Lagoon, 3122 Main Street, Lemon Grove, CA 91945. - (619) 466-0503

Funeral Procession immediately following Repass to the Burial Site about 12:30 p.m. at Glen Abbey Memorial Park & Mortuary at Sleepy Dell Court, Crypt 77, Tier A at 3838 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA 91902. – (619)498-4600. (Ruth will be buried beside her husband)