Ruth Ellen Zangar died peacefully in her own home with family by her side, on Christmas morning, 2010. She was 94. Born to Ann and Leo Schenkeir on Aug. 25, 1916, in Ravenwood, CO., the eldest of 3 children, she played with siblings Idamae and Bill in her beloved Colorado Rockies, moving from one mining town to the next. By age 4, Ruth was already showing her propensity for learning, demanding to start school. She excelled in all of her studies and skipped several grades. At age 10 her father tragically died in a coal mining accident and the family moved to Denver. She was enrolled in boarding school and at age 11 won the Colorado State spelling contest, competing against high school students. Graduating from HS at 15, she received a scholarship to attend college in Denver and by age 17 had completed 2 years of language studies towards becoming a language teacher.

She met Carl N Zangar, a WSU graduate in civil engineering who was staying at her mother's boarding house. The two married in Denver, CO, on October 18, 1934. They had 5 daughters Rita, Grace, Sheila, Brenda, and Cathy when they moved from CO to Richland in 1952, where they had another daughter Terri and two sons Doug and Rick and remained until 1982. Ruth was active in 4-H, as a Girl Scout leader, a Den Mother, an active member of the Catholic Church, and volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul. She spent many hours on family genealogy and collected photos and letters from relatives around the world. When she was 75 she traveled to Europe and visited several relatives that she had been in contact with for years. In 1982 Ruth and Carl moved to a wonderful farm "Zangarla" outside of Dayton, WA, to retire. In 1998 they returned to Richland. They celebrated 66 years of marriage before Carl died in 2001.

Ruth loved spending time with her family and always made holidays a special event. She was a wonderful dancer tap being her favorite and pianist, an avid reader, excellent cook and seamstress, loved to travel, and always loved and enjoyed the mountains. She became quite a student of wildlife, especially birds, while at the Dayton farm. She always made sure her children were not only well fed and clothed, but had music, dance, art, and other lessons, depending upon their individual skills. It was important to her that all of her children complete college, and they did, with many also getting masters and doctors degrees.

One of her unspoken mottos seemed to be "if it's in a book I can learn it and do it". She expressed love with "what would you like to eat when you come to visit?" and gifted customized sewing projects that were as diverse as quilted bedspreads, cashmere coats, and down vests. With more time on her hands when she and her husband retired to the farm, Ruth supervised the addition of a greenhouse, and then spent years studying the propagation and cultivation of edible and exotic plants, notably "famous" for the beautiful grapes and lemons in her mountain greenhouse. Ruth passed on many of her varied skills to her children and grandchildren, who were known to call for last minute reviews or reminders for favorite recipes.

An oft-spoken motto was "you just do what you have to do", reflecting her stamina for taking care of business tasks for her recently widowed mother when she was just a young teen, leaving beloved schools prematurely and moving many times, raising 8 children and hosting 3 foster children, to list some of her life's challenges. Even into her 90's she was a source for consultations and pragmatic, very present wisdom despite short-term memory loss. The latter never interfered with her skill and pleasure in completing a NYT's crossword puzzle, a good Scrabble game, a competitive hand of Bridge, or dropping a well-placed witty remark. Ruth was much loved, will be missed, and will provide a source of inspiration for the many who cherish favorite memories of this brilliant, complex and accomplished woman.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Carl, and her brother Bill Schenkeir of Denver, CO.

She is survived by her dear sister Idamae Schack, and all of her 8 children, 14 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren:Rita and Don, deceased Mazur, Richland, WA, and their children Donna, Bruce, Melinda, Steven and Monique; Grace and Barb Christy, deceased Cameron, Lehigh Acres, FL, and her children Ellen, Brian and Caitlin; Sheila and Denis Buet Zangar, Dayton, WA; Brenda and Bill Guiberson, Seattle, WA, and their son Jason; Catherine and Tom Arp and her daughter Tamara; Terri and Jim Roberts, Medford, OR, and their children Nolan, Shannon and Kevin; Doug and Katy Muse Zangar, Seattle, WA; and Rick and Kelly Bryan Zangar, Richland, WA, and their son Kyle. Great-grandchildren are Amanda, Catie, Jordan, Alex, Thaddeus, Austin, Samantha, Emma, Kylie and Courtney.

If you would like to donate to any of the following charities in Ruth's name, she mentioned the following:

Christ the King Catholic Church, Catholic Charities, Richland, WA; Carl and Ruth Zangar Engineering scholarship fund, Washington State University Engineering Dept.; Tri City Hospice, Kennewick, WA; and St. Vincent de Paul in Dayton, WA.

The family extends its thanks and appreciation to all who have shared in Ruth's life and death.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 from 4:00-6:00pm at Memories at Sunset Event Center with Recitation of the Holy Rosary to follow at 6:00pm. Graveside services will take place Thursday, December 30, 2010 at 12:00pm at Sunset Memorial Gardens with a Memorial Mass to follow at Christ the King Catholic Church at 1:00pm in Richland, WA.