Donna Lou Ruiz
March 1, 1934 ~ April 14, 2021
Donna Lou Ruiz of Weirton, a gracious God Loving, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, passed away on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. She was 87 years old.
Donna was born in Paden City, WV, on March 1, 1934, one of three children born to Harold and Velma Trader Bowen.
While attending Weir High School, Donna worked at Penn Way Pharmacy in Weirton. While working at the pharmacy, she met Louis "Abe" Ruiz when he stopped in the pharmacy to purchase a pack of gum. It was love at first sight. Donna quit school and married Abe on September 15, 1951.
Three months later, Abe was shipped off to fight in the Korean War.
After Abe returned home, they started to raise their family. Donna and Abe were blessed with five children. Donna finished high school, graduated from West Liberty State College, and received her Master’s Degree from W.V.U., all while raising her family.
Abe was a master carpenter, and Donna taught home economics at Weir Middle School for 23 years.
They were blessed with 64 years of marriage when Abe passed away on July 12, 2015.
Donna was a charter member of the Christ United Methodist Church in Weirton, Three Score Seniors, AARP- Primetime, WV Association of Retired Employees, and the N.E.A.
In her free time, she enjoyed sewing, cooking, and spending time with her family.
In addition to her parents and husband, Donna was also preceded in death by her brother, Harold Leon Bowen, and her sister, Erma Birkhimer.
She will be remembered with love, gratitude, and admiration by her children, Kent "Chico" Ruiz, James Ruiz, John (Melissa) Ruiz, Kim (Gordon) Meador, and Lisa (David) Zanolli; grandchildren, Sean and Jared Meador, Matthew and Joel Zanolli, and Emily, Maura and Madison Ruiz; and two great-grandchildren, Isabella and Jaxon Meador.
Visitation will be 3-7 PM Friday at the Greco Hertnick Funeral Home, 3219 Main Street Weirton, WV.
Additional visitation will be held 10 AM until the time of her funeral at 11 AM Saturday at the funeral home.
Pastor Carol McKay will preside.
Interment will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Weirton, WV.
In lieu of food, flowers, and memorial gifts, contributions may be made to Christ United Methodist Church or any organization that supports our veterans.
Donna’s family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Pepperberry Suites of the Fox’s Nursing Home for all the love and care they had for Donna over the last three years.
Share tributes at www.grecohertnick.com
So sorry for the loss. She was an awesome teacher, I loved Home-ec
So sorry. Loved her as a teacher.
I had her for home ech. Very nice teacher
Mrs. Ruiz was one of my favorite teachers. She was always so kind and I loved her smile.
Sincere condolences for your loss! Mrs Ruiz was also one of my favorite teachers! Prayers. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Sorry for your loss. Mrs Ruiz was one of my favorite teachers !
Wow!! So sad! You all have my deepest sympathies. She taught me how to make my first shirt on a sewing machine 😢😢
My sympathies to the Ruiz family
How sad 😔 She was my favorite Home-EC teacher. Prayers to her family 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I loved having her as a home ec teacher! Sorry for the loss.
Very sorry….🙏
I am so sorry for you loss.
My condolences to the family. She was a great lady!!
She was such a sweet and caring lady and one of my favorite teachers. Sending our deepest sympathies to all of her family🙏
My sympathies !
So sorry for your loss! Love, hugs and prayers to all!!
🙏🙏🙏🙏❤❤❤❤
So sorry for your loss, one of my favorite teachers.
Kim and Gordon so sorry for the loss of your Mother Donna was such a sweet lady.
So very sorry for your great loss!
Kim and Gordon so sorry for the loss of your Mother Donna was a very sweet lady,
My sympathies to the family. She was a wonderful teacher.
Our deepest sympathies to the children and grandchildren of Mrs. Ruiz, she was a wonderful lady, who will be very missed ~~~ It’s comforting that she & her husband are reunited again, May they both RIP forever ♾ 💜🙏💙
She was one of my favorites when I worked at Rite Aid
Sorry for your lose. Mrs. Ruiz was a wonderful and patient teacher ❤
Prayers to her family❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻
My condolences to the family!
So sorry for your loss! Mrs. Ruiz was one of my favorite teachers! Prayers for her family 🙏🏻
🙏🙏😥😥
Such a wonderful lady
Sympathies to the Ruiz family. Thoughts and prayers to you all.
I’m so very sorry to hear of Mrs. Ruiz’s passing. I’m sending many many prayers for her family! I still have the wedding gown that she made me for a wedding gift! I always thought of her and her family often. I had her as my teacher in Home Economics and I worked with her daughters at Orwasky’s! She was akways such a wonderful and beautiful woman!
Our sympathies to Chico and his family.
So sorry
May her memory be eternal🙏🏻
I loved Mrs Ruiz. She was a sweet and beautiful soul. I learned a lot in her Class and felt secure. She was a great teacher. God bless the family at this sad time.
I’m sorry for the lost of your friend. 🙏🌹
So very sorry for the families loss. Our deepest sympathies. What a wonderful lady and teacher. Prayers.🙏❤
My deepest condolences to the family
Mrs. Ruiz was one of the best. So sorry for your loss.
So sorry for your loss..she was a wonderful person.
🙏🏻 to the Ruiz family
Thoughts and prayers for the family.
Sad to hear this RIP Mrs. Ruiz 😔✝️🙏💕
John, Melissa, and family, We are very sorry to hear of the passing of your beautiful mother. May God Bless you all. Darla, Dave, & Dylan Osaba
God has called home one of his most BEAUTIFUL angels only requiring her wings for she arrived with everything else. Our love and deepest condolences.
Dearest Ruiz Family, We all were so deeply saddened to learn of Donna’s passing. She was such a beautiful person who touched so many lives. Please accept our heartfelt condolences and know that you are in our thoughts and will be in our continued prayers. With All Our Love, The Munoz Family (Marian, Maria, Jennifer and Johnny & Families)
With deepest sympathy,
So sorry to hear, prayers for the family
Sorry for your loss 🙏🏻🙏🏻
I’ll never forget the memories of waking up after a sleepover to the smells of her awesome breakfasts while growing up and the time spent at the house. The world is a lesser place without her but Heaven improved with her ascension. She and Abe raised one helluva family, one that I’m privileged to know. My family and I offer our deepest condolences…The Dalrymples…
Donna, You will be deeply missed. Love, Ed and Kathy Bowman
With heartfelt condolences, know that your family are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Not only was she my cousin she was one of the nicest ladies I have ever known and my teacher when she taught . Rest Well Donna what an awesome gracious woman you were
To all of the Ruiz family, including my old friend Kent….I’m so sorry to hear of the loss of Donna, your mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. I spent many an hour in the Ruiz home during my growing-up years, and I will always remember how kind, patient and thoughtful Donna was, no matter how much noise or trouble I helped cause. Of course, Donna had a special place in the Mayfield family’s heart because she, like my Mom and Dad, hailed from Paden City, “down the river,” as we described it. I have so much respect for how she led her life, returning to earn not only her high school diploma, but bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I’m sure she was a beloved teacher. Donna was truly a special person, making life better for everyone she encountered. I wish you all peace and comfort in knowing what a good life she led and the example she set for us all. Fondly, Dave Mayfield
😢🙏🏻 such a wonderful person. She will truly be missed. My deepest condolences to the family ❤️🙏🏻
Condolences to her family!
Our condolences to all the Ruiz Family may Donna Rest-in Peace with Abe for eternity. Drew and Jeanie Antonelli
John, I want to wish you my sincere condolences. Your family is my thoughts and prayers. It is my hope that your family will be able to find peace in this time of great loss. Sincerely, David W. Gray
Dear Jim and family, I am so sad to hear this news. Your mom was an OUTSTANDING teacher who taught me how to sew & guided me and countless others through the “do’s and dont’s” of cooking. I recall she was so impressed with the dress I made that she carried it through the halls showing the other teachers my work- what a huge boost of self esteem for me! After HS graduation I invested my money in a VIKING sewing machine and sewed for several years afterwards. At class reunions I always asked about her. It is hard for me to put into words the impact she made in my life by helping me to uncover my passion for those 2 basic life skills. Memory Eternal ✝️Mrs. Ruiz! With love, Kathy Volosin Maragos
To the Ruiz Family, We are so sorry for your loss. You will be in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Gary, Mary, Sara and Matthew Lyons
I am very sorry for your loss.
Such a lovely person. I never officially met her but she knew my name from going to school with Lisa. She always spoke with a genuine smile when I ran into her.
Chico and Ruiz family, I send my heartfelt sympathy to you.
So sorry for your loss. She was a kind and wonderful teacher. Prayers for her family and friends.
Such a lovely lady. Her daughter and her family used to live by me and I would see her now and then. Very sorry to hear of her passing