Carrie Elizabeth Ruano

Carrie was born on May 22, 1942, in Ava, Illinois, to James Elmer Walker and Allein Bessie Walker. She was the sixth of seven children and spent her early childhood in Illinois before moving with her family to California in 1954 at the age of 12. Although the many moves of her childhood made her painfully shy as a young girl, Carrie grew into a warm and outgoing woman who could strike up a conversation with almost anyone—a small child, a teenager, an old friend or someone she had just met.

Carrie never forgot her Illinois roots. She loved horses and music from the time she was young, when her father bought her both a pony and a piano. Throughout her life she had a special affection for paintings of barns because they reminded her of home. She treasured opportunities to return to Illinois to visit her childhood home and family.

As a young woman, Carrie enjoyed spending time with friends and family and driving her convertible Buick. That Buick also played a part in changing the course of her life. Carrie and her father would take the car to a local filling station, where a young man named Frank Yrineo Ruano worked. Carrie and Frank met, fell in love, married, and built a life together that would span 62 years.

Together they raised four children: Michelle Renee Sanchez, Frank Yrineo Ruano, Jr., Jane Elizabeth Symonds, and Jacqueline Carol Lenci. Carrie was a devoted mother who took wonderful care of her children. She could be strict when necessary, but behind that strictness was a determination to keep her children safe and prepare them well for life. The lessons, values, morals and practical life skills she taught them became part of who they are and continue through the generations that followed.

Carrie had an adventurous and capable spirit. She could drive a stick shift, ride a motorcycle, and seemed able to handle just about anything she set her mind to. She was intelligent, comfortable with computers, interested in current events, and more than capable of holding her own in a lively conversation or debate. She was also an exceptional cook, and food was one of the many ways she cared for the people around her.

Family life was filled with experiences and adventures. Carrie and Frank took their children on two-week summer vacations to explore what the United States had to offer, and camping trips often included relatives from both sides of the family. In retirement, Carrie and Frank continued enjoying life side by side. They traveled in their small motorhome, rode bicycles together, and frequently visited Half Moon Bay. Carrie especially loved the beach. She also enjoyed traveling and twice visited Washington, D.C., where she took in the White House, the National Mall and the sights of the nation's capital.

Her faith and church community were an important part of Carrie's life. She taught Catechism to young children, participated in RCIA, served Communion during Mass with Frank, and took part in many other church activities over the years.

Above all, Carrie cared about people. Her warmth, friendliness and genuine interest in others touched family members, friends, coworkers, fellow parishioners and countless people she encountered throughout her life. She leaves behind not only memories, but an enduring influence on the people who knew and loved her.

Carrie is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years, Frank Yrineo Ruano; their four children, Michelle Renee Sanchez, Frank Yrineo Ruano, Jr., Jane Elizabeth Symonds, and Jaqueline Carol Lenci; 12 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren with one on the way. She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, and her granddaughter Bethanie Anne Marie Ruano.

Carrie's legacy lives on in the family she loved, in the values she instilled in them, in the lessons she taught, and in the many lives made better simply because she was part of them.