Obituary of Ruth DuBois Weigel

Ruth (Ruthie) DuBois Weigel Ruth Du Bois Weigel passed away peacefully on the morning of Thursday July 23, 2009, at her beachfront Dash Point home, surrounded by family and friends. Ruth was born on August 8, 1928, in Tacoma, and lived her entire 80 years in the Puget Sound area. She is survived by daughters Teri Weigel, (Gary Anicich) of Dash Point, Washington; Joni (Weigel) Congleton (Paul Congleton), of Denver Colorado; son Dr. Rex A. Weigel (Charlene Tai-Weigel) of Hilo, Hawaii; 11 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Ruth was the quintessential homemaker and stay at home mother to her children and all the neighborhood kids of Madison street whose working parents relied on her watchful eyes, and tender loving, care as an after school surrogate parent. Ruth loved a lively discussion and her kitchen table was a forum for talk story coffee klatches, with neighborhood wives, and political debates, with her children’s classmates. She was loved by all those who had the good fortune to know her, and her love, laughter and wise counsel, freely shared and granted, will be sorely missed. The seagulls and crows noisily offered their aloha, as they fluttered around the hearse that carried her away from her beloved Dash Point home. The Weigel family extends our gratitude to the Franciscan Hospice personnel that supported, guided and comforted us in our darkest hours. Our mahalo is also extended to Dr. David Schumer for his flawless professionalism, and especially for the after hours home visits, which lifted Ruth’s spirits enormously. No formal public memorial service will be held. Ruth, as was her wish, shall be cremated and her remains scattered in the waters fronting her Dash Point home. In lieu of flowers Ruth has asked that donations be made to My Father’s Home orphanage in Bali, Indonesia, at P.O. Box 738, Snohomish, WA 98291(www.myfathershome.net), or to a charity of choice. My Rich InheritanceBy Joni Weigel Congleton Ruth DuBois Weigel, a faithful and devoted wife to my father, her husband of 42 years. An extraordinary mother. A caring and loving grandmother, and great-grandmother. A brilliant mind. A compassionate heart. A woman well acquainted with both sorrow and joy. An earthly, yet godly woman, and my most trusted friend. She leaves behind riches that cannot be measured. Her sense of humor, her sometimes very outspoken honesty combined with her longing for truth, her ability to accept what came her way, never doubting that God was with her in all things, and the most precious gift of all, her faith. It was a beautiful clear sky and warm sunny day on Wednesday afternoon, and with all three of us by her side, mom suddenly opened her eyes and asked in a very weak voice, "Is there thunder?" I knew instantly that it was the Lord: "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace, the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12. She closed her eyes and several minutes passed when she opened them, and looking beyond us to the foot of the bed, she mumbled something. When we leaned closer and asked her what she was saying, she said clearly, "I was just thanking Him for all my blessings." She then closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep until she took her last breath at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2009. A short time later as she left her home of 40 years, the seagulls and crows accorded her a fitting salute by flying overhead, back and forth, diving and swooping, cawing and squealing, and then suddenly were gone. That evening across Commencement Bay, the sun dropped behind the Olympic Mountains displaying the most beautiful colors across the entire sky, and with the flag lowered to half-mast, a sweet neighbor played "Taps," while a pair of seals bobbed up and down in front of us, and a burst of fireworks shot up from Maury Island. This was a day full of joy and peace, and I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me the privilege to have been a part of it. He was a good and faithful Shepherd to the very end of Ruth's life, and she a dutiful servant of His Will. In Christ, Joni Ruth “Ruthie” DuBois Weigel August 8, 1928 – July 23, 2009 She had seen and experienced things many of her generation shouldn’t have. The Depression, World War, and the ensuing uneasy peace. Along the way she’d raised three wonderful children, and shared with them the wonders of discovery in their own lives. She loved and supported them in their life choices, and reveled in the joy of their progeny. She was spared the agony of burying one of her own children though her son’s wounds, in yet another war, gave her pause. A marriage of 42 years, followed by 20 years of unaccompanied independence, served as bookends on the life she knew. But all those memories were lost in time, like tears in the Northwest rain… when it was time to take her final journey towards heaven’s gate. With all accounts settled, and family near, she prepared to go to the Lord with a quiet dignity and grace, that had always been the essence of our mother. We watched her linger between this life and the next, powerless to stop the final outcome. And though it was a gradual process, she did not resist its inevitability. She never whimpered and she never quit. She took all the time she had, as though she loved Life very much… every second of it… even the pain. And with a final gasp her spirit reached out to unify and embrace the three of us in the ultimate act of maternal love. We became one with each other, as we mourned her passing. But we know, in our hearts, she shall grow not older, as we that are left grow older. Old age shall not weary her, nor the years condemn. When you think of her, remember the love and counsel she gave you, and be grateful, as are we, that she unselfishly shared her life, and love, with us all. Charlene and Rex Weigel