SAN ANTONIO - Doris ''Dee'' Mae Ruiz, 72, of San Antonio, entered the gates of heaven on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, in Warren.
Her acceptance of Christ as her personal Lord and Savior and the assurance of her heavenly homecoming provide blessed peace for her and her family after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
Dee was born in East Liverpool. After a successful high school athletic career, she joined the United States Air Force. Airman Ruiz worked as a cryptologist for the USAF and while serving her country, she met and married Alvino Ruiz of San Antonio in 1962.
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Doris Mae Ruiz
Dee spent most of her life in San Antonio, where she raised her family.
She became an LPN and worked full-time at the Nix Hospital while attending school full-time at San Antonio College to advance her career and become a registered nurse. She enjoyed a successful nursing career, finally retiring from civil service after working at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital caring for fellow veterans.
Throughout her adult life, she enjoyed ceramics, needlepoint, bowling, softball, penny poker, horseback riding and spending as many weekends as she could off the south Texas coastline fishing.
However, even with all she accomplished throughout her life, her favorite role and pastime in life was being "Grandma Dee," spending time playing with her four grandchildren.
Dee is survived by her son, William (Barbara) Michael Ruiz; daughter, Sally (Stephen) Anthony; four grandchildren, William Kristopher and Michael Gene Ruiz of Ogden, Utah, and Jacob Von and Tiana Nicole Anthony of Howland; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Her parents, Martha (Davis) and Orvis Chandler, and her sister, Evelyn (Bailey) Monroe, preceded her in death.
There are no services planned, in accordance with her wishes. Those wishing to honor Dee's memory are requested to go fishing on a pier, shop with grandchildren at Toys-R-Us, have lunch at Cracker Barrel, and / or keep their bird feeders faithfully filled.
Arrangements have been handled by the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel in Warren.
(special notice)