Kevin Austin Ruble

Cancer, unfortunately, was a part of Kevin’s life from a young age. When he was 14 years old, Kevin was hospitalized with Ewing’s Sarcoma. When he left Riley Children’s Hospital two years later, he made a pledge – that every day he would live life to the fullest in memory and in honor of the many children he met who lost their battles with cancer. Kevin kept his promise and lived life large. His friends and family describe him as a kind, caring renaissance man. He died at the age of 53.

Kevin was an artist, a stand-up comic, contractor, chef, and race-car driver. But the role he was most proud of was being a devoted father to his sons Henry and Cohen as well as husband to his wife, Mireya Garcia. Kevin was born in a small midwestern “dot” Marion, Indiana. His childhood home was within walking distance of Indiana Wesleyan University. One day, he wandered into an art class and discovered what became a lifelong passion. Kevin graduated from Marion High School and later received his fine arts degree from Herron School of Art and Indiana University.

Throughout his life, Kevin took joy in juggling his hobbies and work. One friend recalled, “Kevin was thoughtful and a deep thinker. Artistic, talented, and creative. He excelled at wherever his interests took him. He was very principled and stood up for what he believed.”

After college, when he wasn’t selling cars or painting, Kevin managed to squeeze in 15 years on the comedy club circuit, traveling around the nation. Fellow comedians from Crackers Comedy Club in Indianapolis remember Kevin’s days on stage: “I was immediately impressed by his on-stage demeanor – very natural and relaxed with a real talent for engaging an audience and a bit of charming self-deprecation mixed in,” said one friend.

Kevin was a lifetime car and racing enthusiast. He competed on tracks across the United States, including at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta, Pittsburgh International Race Complex and Mosport in Canada. He podiumed at several events, including the 2017 Indy Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational where he drove his 1998 BMW E36 M3, which he built himself. At one point, he worked for Era Motorsport and took pride in being part of the pit crew when he was in his 50s at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Kevin also trained race car drivers and taught road-course racing.

As a child, Kevin was a natural athlete. He wanted to be a baseball player and was a loyal Chicago Cubs fan. Kevin coached both Henry’s and Cohen’s youth baseball teams and later became an enthusiastic and vocal spectator at their games. Kevin was also very passionate about golf, tennis and Big Ten basketball. He loved watching the Indiana Hoosiers.

Kevin was a master at disassembling and re-assembling items, especially vintage cars, bicycles and food. He would spend hours in his home garage and basement working on cars and bicycles. Then after hours of work, he would photograph the finished product in his driveway and home – a gleaming antique with a new paint job. Kevin always took pride in his work!

His food creations (with many ingredients from his family’s backyard garden) made frequent appearances on his Facebook page. Always dubbed “Coco’s Cucina,” Kevin’s meals were exquisitely presented in pristine photos that were food-magazine worthy.

Over the years, Kevin exhibited his artwork in galleries around Indianapolis. His paintings contained bold, vibrant colors, often reflecting the promise he made when he left the hospital as a teenager. He was very proud of having an IMDb credit for a movie called “The Waiter.” Throughout his life his medium was very eclectic. The largest piece of work he created was a one-man show he wrote about his life “Ruble With A Cause.” It was a three-part series he performed at the Indy Fringe Festival.

For 40 years, Kevin kept that promise alive and tried to do everything he liked in life. Friends and family describe him as a warrior when it came to his frequent battles with cancer.

Kevin will be missed by many. He is survived by his wife, Mireya Garcia, and his sons Henry Ruble and Cohen Ruble, all of Indianapolis. He also is survived by many relatives in Marion, Indiana and Houston, Texas.

A celebration of life will be held on Oct. 27 at his home.

In a piece about Kevin that appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Kevin said: “I've told my wife that, if I ever die early, with my kids still so young, I want them to be able to get in the car, to sit where daddy sat. And they will know who I am, and what made Daddy go."