Ruth Barbara Skoubo Drake

Ruth Barbara Drake, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away August 25, 2011 in her sleep at home. She suffered a minor heart attack earlier in the week and it brought her battle with COPD to an end. Ruth was surrounded by friends and family in her last days and will be missed.

Ruth Barbara Skoubo was born in Portland, Oregon on February 21, 1936 to Alfred and Ida Skoubo. She was the youngest of 3 children, the only girl. Ruth attended Girls Polytechnic where she participated in sports, played in the band and loved going to the Jazz and Philharmonic shows with her girlfriends. After graduation, she enlisted in the Army, which led her to fort Dix, New Jersey, where she met the love of her life, Staff Sgt. Harry A. Drake. They were married on March 7, 1958 and went right to work on their family. The Army sent them around the world and back, to finally settle in central Texas. A small town named Copperas Cove became their home.

Ruth's husband, Harry, had retired from the service in 1966 and they both started up small businesses. Ruth decided she was going to sell Tupperware. Boy did she ever sell Tupperware! She advanced as far as she could go in a management position and continued to excel. New cars every year, national recognition, business trips across the country and all the Tupperware the family could handle! Her business thrived, kids went to elementary school during the tough times, Ruth's business supported the family.

In 1973, Ruth and Harry decided to move the family to Ruth's childhood home, Portland, Oregon. Harry had went to school to drive semi trucks and a local company had given him a job. Ruth sold Tupperware for a couple more years but soon decided to stay home and wait for her trucker to come home. In 1981, with only their youngest still living at home, Ruth and Harry bought the Duck`s Pond Inn in Warrenton, Oregon. They were tavern owners for a few years, the decided to move back to Portland, where Harry picked up his truck driving again and Ruth dabbled in many hobbies and pastimes. her beloved Harry passed away in 1993 and she missed him dearly.

Ruth tried her hand at selling numerous products, she made quilts for fun, built and repaired computers for fun and profits in her later years. She spent years making ceramics, winning many local and regional awards for her art. She spent almost a decade tracing her and Harry's family genealogy, work which she passed on to future generations of Skoubos, Drakes, and Furrers. Camping with family and friends was a passion of hers, taking as many grandkids as possible to the coast was often a favorite trip. they will miss her at the Pendleton Roundup, also a favorite of hers.

Ruth was always there for you when you needed her. She Had a big heart and was always helping someone out with something. It didn't matter if it was her children or grandchildren, friends of hers, or a friend of her children. If you needed help, she was there for you. She was always taking someone in who needed a place to stay or helping solve one crisis after another. She always said she was from Missouri......"Show Me" was her motto and it was her way of keeping friends and family accountable and moving forward with their lives.

Ruth is survived by her four children: Harry Drake Jr. of Vancouver, WA, Lenay O'Quinn of Brandywine, MD, Joyce Harmon of Rainier, OR, and Lisa Hannan of Gresham, OR; six grandchildren, Andrew and Patrick Drake, Kaila and Dallas Harmon and Alivia and Hanna Hannan; and two brothers, Floyd Skoubo of Panama City, Panama Charlie Skoubo.

A celebration of Ruth's life will be held in Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday, September 1st, at 1pm. A Public visitation will take place in Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home on Thursday, September 1, from 9am to 1pm.

Remembrances in Ruth's name may be made to Community Home Health and Hospice of Longview, Washington - 1 800 378 8510.

Arrangements under the direction of Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Portland, OR. (503) 292-6611