Diane Ruud

Frances Diane “Dee Dee” Ruud, 77, of Ormond Beach, Florida, passed away on Thursday, September 19, 2024, while surrounded by her 3 daughters. She was born on March 26, 1947, to Fred and Marjorie Thomasser in Bronx, New York, as one of five siblings. She married Morris “Moe” Ruud on November 2, 1974, and they had 3 children, Laura, Tammy, and Amber. Diane raised her family in Blaine, Minnesota, and worked at NCR and as a school bus driver until they moved to Vacaville, California, in 1990. Diane held many high-level positions at various distributions centers in California, to include Royal Cathay, Marcel Schurman and Papyrus before ultimately landing her role as Information Technology Director with Northbay Distribution. She took great pride in the work she did and was an inspiration to all who knew her. The funny thing about her IT role was she was not very technically saavy outside of work and Moe never let her live that down. He would often tease her for being in charge of an entire IT department yet struggle with something as simple as installing an app on her iPhone. It just goes to show you what true grit and determination allowed her to accomplish.

Diane was a young soul that loved to travel with family and friends and never passed down the opportunity to take a cruise. She was well traveled and enjoyed being on or near the ocean. A perfect day for her was a drive on the beach in her Jeep and ice cream. This is evident by the amount of sand she seemed to take with her everywhere she went. Her love of the ocean led her and Moe to relocate to Ormond Beach, Florida, as snowbirds in winter of 2017. As life often does, many a curve ball were thrown their way, and they remained permanent residents of Ormond Beach from 2020 forward.

Diane was the matriarch of our family and there are no words that can express our sense of loss. So much of her lives on in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and we are honored to carry her legacy forward. Diane always took the time to lend an ear, offer motherly advice or simply be there whenever called upon but she also had a knack of just knowing when her family and friends needed a pick me up. Even through distance, she maintained strong relationships with those she loved and never let it get in the way.

Diane is preceded in death by her spouse Moe, parents Fred and Marjorie Thomasser, mother-in-law Lida Ruud, father-in-law Roger Ruud, brother Fred, sister-in-law Sandy Hughes, sister-in-law Susan Topel, and brother in law Rick Ruud.

She is survived by her children Laura and Paul Tjan, Tammy Gilbert and Loren Saltness, Amber Kent and Jim Herrod, grandchildren Chance Gilbert, Thomas Schmoyer, Joshua Hogan, Jenna Gilbert, Brianna Gilbert, Emily Kent, and great grandchildren Elena Gilbert, Eris Gilbert, Salem Gilbert, and Layla Schmoyer, brothers Robert Thomasser, Richard Thomasser; sister Jacqueline Thomasser.

Diane had many fur babies over the years and was a surrogate mom to her loving cats Bear, Patches and Ricky.

A Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 11:00 am on the beach outside of Ormond Beach, Florida. If you wish to send flowers for the celebration of life, they may be delivered to her home address in Ormond Beach, FL, or you can simply make a donation to the American Cancer Society or Humane Society in her honor.

She will be truly missed by all who knew her along the way. To know Diane was to know what true loyalty was. Rest in Peace and swim with the sea turtles until we meet again. We love you to the moon and back, more than a California sunset, and got it from here…