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Ruby Alice Kendrick
02/20/1923 — 07/16/2002
From Pasco, WA, US | Born in Eatonton, Georgia
Ruby Alice Kendrick
Ruby Alice Kendrick was born on February 20, 1923, to Fred and Rebecca Smith in Eatonton, GA and died July 16, 2002, at the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice House in Kennewick, WA.
In 1940 she married and had one son, Gus, who was born on June 25, 1941. After divorcing in 1948, while living in Compton, CA, she met Bill Kendrick, and they were married in Tijuana, Mexico on January 14, 1950. They had three children: Keith, then Karen in 1954, who being premature only lived 72 hours and was buried in Carlisle, PA, and finally Kevin who was born in 1958 but only lived 36 hours and was buried in Richland, WA.
Ruby did all kinds of work as a machinist during WWII, parachute rigger in AZ, and building Boeing airplanes in Seattle. She worked as a waitress at Ernies Restaurant in Richland and then at the V.F.W. Post 7952. She was active in V.F.W. In the 1960s, she worked at Felixs Broiler in Pasco. Then she went to Richland Beauty School where she got her beauty license. Later, she got her instructors license and with partner, Vera Butler, bought the school. Eventually, Mrs. Butler bought Rubys interest in the school. In 1975, Ruby and Bill built their home on Whipple in Pasco. She did 95% of the nailing of the house and helped plumb and wire it. In 1976, she went to work for Metalclad Insulation. She worked as a pipe insulator for 2 years. In 1986, she started Chief Insulation and owned it for 6 years before selling it to Apollo Sheetmetal when she retired.
After retiring, Ruby and Bill did some traveling in their Fifth Wheel before she became ill in 1993. She is leaving behind, Bill, her husband of 52 years plus; sons, Gus and daughter-in-law, Frances, and Keith; three granddaughters, Connie Rebecca, Doreen and Karen; three great granddaughters; and two great grandsons.
Ruby and Bill joined Northwest United Protestant Church in 1975 and became very active in 1990. She was a deacon and an elder. She was on the hospitality committee for 9 years, and she loved to bake cookies for Sunday coffee after church. Everyone loved her, and she loved everybody and her church. She will be deeply missed, and she will be remembered by all who knew her. She was a good person.
Ruby loved to fish every chance she had to put a hook in the water.
There will be a celebration of Rubys life at noon on Saturday, July 20, 2002, at Northwest United Protestant Church, Richland, WA.
Donations may be made in Rubys memory to Northwest United Protestant Church, 1312 Sacramento, Richland, WA 99352.
Dear Bill and family,
We knew Ruby over half of our lives. It just does not seem possible that she has moved on to a higher plane as she has left behind so many good friends. She certainly had a tough go these past few years and she fought a good fight. We will miss her greatly! We will join her some day and that time will seem like a blink of an eye relative to eternity.
Ruby was an extraordinary woman, willing to tackle most any job. Any task she committed to deserved her personal best. She was, in our opinion, the original Can Do woman.
Rusty loooks back fondly to the time she first worked with Ruby in the beauty shop at the old Desert Inn in Richland in either 1967 or 1968.
Courtney was impressed by the fact that she drove the trailer back from Alaska in the 60’s accompanied by her sick father-in-law. That was quite a feat in those days. He was amazed at her willingness to work in the insulation trade at FFTF at a time that very few women worked in construction.
She was an excellent partner for Bill. We can recall the work the two of you did remodeling the prefab in Richland before selling it and moving to your fifth wheel while you built the house on Whipple in Pasco. That house and yard were always a work of art as both of you took great pride in keeping it maintained.
We remember the good times we had over the years. One of our favorites was the annual enchilada feed for family and friends. Fishing, getting together for coffee, or sharing a meal were always enjoyable.
We recall the crisis that occurred when Metal Clad went out of business and the job market looked rather dismal in the mid 80’s. Ruby was instrumental in working with Bill to establish Chief Insulation as a real power house of a small business which helped the two of you gain some well deserved financial security. Such success in a small business is quite unusual and she took great pride in making the business grow.
Bill, we certainly respect all the care that you provided her in these last years of her illnesses. Times must have been quite trying as she moved from one medical crisis to another. You certainly demonstated what love is all about.
With Love,
Courtney and Rusty Hann
There a milliom memories of Ruby and can not remember her with out Bill. They where special friends and where like family in some ways. most all our large family parties have their pictures in them. There are some people that are such a part of your life you can,t remember when they weren,t comoing are going , but where never forgotten.
God be with you both as i know Ruby is watching us all saying i,d do it this way ha we truluy loved ruby and had loys of good and bad times but some how the good are what i will rember.
Sheela@ Clyde Stevens
I was just thinking about Ruby last week and wondering how she was doing. I’m so sorry to hear of her passing. At least she isn’t suffering anymore and she has gone to a place that is so beautiful, we would all want to follow her if we knew how beautiful it is. I enjoyed so much, and felt very honored since she was my instructor in beauty school doing Ruby’s hair all those years I was in Kennewick. Our prayers & sympathy are with you, Bill. Collette & Randy Johnson
Dear Bill and family,
We knew Ruby over half of our lives. It just does not seem possible that she has moved on to a higher plane as she has left behind so many good friends. She certainly had a tough go these past few years and she fought a good fight. We will miss her greatly! We will join her some day and that time will seem like a blink of an eye relative to eternity.
Ruby was an extraordinary woman, willing to tackle most any job. Any task she committed to deserved her personal best. She was, in our opinion, the original Can Do woman.
Rusty loooks back fondly to the time she first worked with Ruby in the beauty shop at the old Desert Inn in Richland in either 1967 or 1968.
Courtney was impressed by the fact that she drove the trailer back from Alaska in the 60’s accompanied by her sick father-in-law. That was quite a feat in those days. He was amazed at her willingness to work in the insulation trade at FFTF at a time that very few women worked in construction.
She was an excellent partner for Bill. We can recall the work the two of you did remodeling the prefab in Richland before selling it and moving to your fifth wheel while you built the house on Whipple in Pasco. That house and yard were always a work of art as both of you took great pride in keeping it maintained.
We remember the good times we had over the years. One of our favorites was the annual enchilada feed for family and friends. Fishing, getting together for coffee, or sharing a meal were always enjoyable.
We recall the crisis that occurred when Metal Clad went out of business and the job market looked rather dismal in the mid 80’s. Ruby was instrumental in working with Bill to establish Chief Insulation as a real power house of a small business which helped the two of you gain some well deserved financial security. Such success in a small business is quite unusual and she took great pride in making the business grow.
Bill, we certainly respect all the care that you provided her in these last years of her illnesses. Times must have been quite trying as she moved from one medical crisis to another. You certainly demonstated what love is all about.
With Love,
Courtney and Rusty Hann
There a milliom memories of Ruby and can not remember her with out Bill. They where special friends and where like family in some ways. most all our large family parties have their pictures in them. There are some people that are such a part of your life you can,t remember when they weren,t comoing are going , but where never forgotten.
God be with you both as i know Ruby is watching us all saying i,d do it this way ha we truluy loved ruby and had loys of good and bad times but some how the good are what i will rember.
Sheela@ Clyde Stevens
I was just thinking about Ruby last week and wondering how she was doing. I’m so sorry to hear of her passing. At least she isn’t suffering anymore and she has gone to a place that is so beautiful, we would all want to follow her if we knew how beautiful it is. I enjoyed so much, and felt very honored since she was my instructor in beauty school doing Ruby’s hair all those years I was in Kennewick. Our prayers & sympathy are with you, Bill. Collette & Randy Johnson
Mr. Kendrick and family;
I only knew Ruby for a short time when I worked as a Pharmacist at 14th Ave in Pasco. She was a kind and patient person. She will no longer be in pain now, but she will be missed.
May God bless you with courage at this time.
Carolyn Lyon-Pharmacist
Bill, Our Prayers are with you at this time. You know we send our love. Our thoughts will be especially with you on Saturday. Ruby was always a very positive person to be around. We had some very good memories in our RV rallys that we were together. We shall have some very fond memories of Ruby. Nancy
We shall miss a good neighbor to our daughter.
The loss of my dear neighbor will be felt for many years. Ruby was truely a dear and wonderful lady. I will miss her.
Ruby was a truly wonderful person. She was a joy to know and work with and will be missed by all who were luckey enough to know her.
Ruby was so full of life and dedicated to whatever she was doing, she was an inspiration to us all.
Those of us who had the privilege of serving with her on Hospitality Commission loved her dearly and will think of her whenever we are doing any work in the church. Her touch will continue to be felt in all our activities. We had great times working together and we’ll cherish those memories. Every time we clean a coffee pot or do other kitchen chores, we’ll remember her attention to detail and her sense of humor.
Thanks, Bill and Ruby, for being such good friends, to us and to the church.
Ruby was a wonderful person. I remember the Mother’s Day we spent together helping the youth group at the Hatton-Coulee rest stop. Ruby alsways wanted homemade cookies and goodies, not Oreo or other prepackaged cookies.
Ruby was always there when there was a meal to cook. Thanks Ruby for all the special memories.
Guestbook for
Ruby Alice Kendrick