Ruth Cortez

Ruth Juarros was born in Raton, New Mexico on January 7, 1924. Her parents were Manuel and Juliana Juarros of Covarrubias, Spain. She was the 9th of 10 children, 7 girls and 3 boys. Her family became Adventists when she was a young girl and she was blessed to have been able to attend Modesto Junior Academy and Golden Gate Academy in Oakland, CA because of the generosity of tuition assistance which she always remembered and paid it forward later in life. During WW2 Ruth, as a teenager worked at the Alameda Naval Ship Yard typing and book keeping. After Academy and once the war ended she worked night shifts a couple of years in a cannery packing fruit in boxes and jars with her mother and sister Esther. They would sing hymns at the top of their lungs to stay awake. After saving enough money she attended Pacific Union College (PUC) where she was very involved in the gatherings and outings of the Spanish Club. This is when she met her future, very studious and handsome husband. From PUC she went to Paradise Valley School of Nursing in San Diego where she graduated in 1950 with a Diploma in Nursing after which she accepted Augustine Cortez’s proposal and was married on February 19, 1951. They started their family with 4 children Loida, Marcy, Ren’ and Nina.

Ruth worked in many different hospitals but her favorite memories started when she was hired at the Loma Linda Sanitarium on the hill and then shortly after helped move patients in 1967 to the new cloverleaf hospital named Loma Linda University Medical Center. It was there that she worked on 7100 the Cardiothoracic Surgical ICU where she often translated for the heart surgeons Dr. Wareham and Dr. Huse for the Spanish speaking patients. The RN’s she worked with were like a close knit family. She was famous for taking her baked cinnamon rolls to work on the Sabbath’s she was scheduled so everyone wanted to work the same weekends as her. Ruth retired in January of 1997 at the age of 73. Only working 47 years as a bedside nurse her whole career.

Ruth loved to travel and took numerous trips and cruises with her sister Esther. After retirement she enjoyed traveling with Augustine and made several trips around the US and Canada in their RV. She not only loved to travel but reading, sewing, baking and writing letters and cards by snail mail were favorite pastimes. She loved watching all of our Adventist TV stations and was a long time attendee and faithful supporter of It Is Written and Voice of Prophecy Partnership Meetings. She especially loved having her 2 grandsons and most recently adored her great granddaughter Amelia Ruth Cortez with a mere 100 years between them.

Ruth was blessed to be able to stay in her own home as she aged with the care of loving christian caregivers that took excellent care of her and made her laugh which she loved to do. She was always ready and loved to have visits and outings with friends and family. Her strength and stamina never ceased to amaze her family even to the end when she passed away peacefully at home with her family at her side on January 7, 2025 just before midnight at the age of 101. An amazing, long, well lived, faithful life. She always gave God the credit for her long life. She is predeceased by her daughter Marcy and husband of 63 years Augustine. She is survived by daughter Loida, husband Karnik Doukmetzian & their son Joseph; son Ren, wife, Sheri and their son Andrew, his wife Corinna & their daughter Amelia; daughter Nina as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Reception to follow committal at the Loma Linda University Church Fellowship Hall at 11125 Campus St.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to it is Written.