Beulah Bea Ruiz

Bea Ruiz aged 84, passed away Sunday, August 23, 2015; she died three days short of her 85th birthday. Bea is survived by her sister; Thelma (Danny) Teehee, daughter Vickie (Claude) Plourde, son Allen (Nina Pietrasanta), her granddaughters; Hilary Plourde, Claire Scholl, Brianna Ruiz, her great grandchildren; Isaiah Maddox and Alessa Plourde. Bea was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Irene Hill, her husband, Edmund Ruiz, and her daughter, Valerie.

Bea was born on a farm in Woodlawn Illinois and grew up there until her family moved to Chicago during World War II when her dad went to work for Carnegie Steel and her mom with Illinois Bell. Bea graduated from Hyde Park High School in Chicago and in 1952 took a vacation train trip to California with her Aunt Margie to visit her cousins Bill and Cae Brown who had settled in Santa Barbara. There, Bea met her future husband, Santa Barbara native Ed Ruiz at a church square dance and on October 24, 1953 they were married at the United Methodist Church on Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara.

Bea and Ed relocated to Oxnard shortly after their marriage where they raised their family. Bea was active in scouting with her children and her lifelong passion of bowling. Bea’s kids will joke that they were raised in a bowling alley! Up until June of 2014, Bea was bowling on two leagues weekly and enjoyed all her friends in those leagues. Bea was a very independent woman, like “hog an ice” she would say and she lived her life to the fullest. Bea loved to travel, visiting Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and many trips around the country to visit family and friends. She will always be remembered for her love for the Duke..John Wayne.

There will be a memorial service for Bea on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at Charles Carroll Funeral Home, 15 Teloma Drive, Ventura, California at 11:00 in the morning. In lieu of flowers if you can make a donation to a charity of your choice in Bea’s memory.