‘Don’ Agustin S. Ruiz
“Don” Agustin S. Ruiz passed away in Hollister on Monday, May 24 at the age of 89.
A native of Zacatecas, Mexico, Mr. Ruiz spent most of his life in California living in Whittier and San Jose, where he was a warehouseman for Delmonte Foods for more than 20 years. Upon his retirement from Delmonte, San Benito County became his permanent home.
Agustin entered the U.S. Navy in 1942, serving on the USS Phoebe in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. He was a member of Sacred Heart Church, the Cursillo Group and the Rite Of Christian Initiation Group of Sacred Heart Parish. While living in San Jose from l930 until 1984, he belonged to the G. I. Forum which held dances and other fund-raising events to create money for scholarships for high school graduates.
“Agustin possessed many talents,” said his nieces and nephew. “He was a good carpenter and handyman, having built one of his first homes – he could do almost anything in construction. He was a very talented masonry person. But most of all, he was always a gentleman, being very proud and secure about what his accomplishments were.”
He is survived by is his spouse of 69 years, Pearl A. Ruiz, of Hollister. They had just celebrated their anniversary at a party May 11 at Mabie Skilled Nursing Center. He is also survived is his sister-in-law Alice Solano of Hollister; nieces Gloria Torres and Mary Ann Flores; nephew Rick Solano of Hollister; cousins Sally Zuniga, Linda Carrillo, Tony Ruiz, Eliodoro “Lolo” Ruiz of Hollister, Josephine Aguirre of Southern California and many other relatives.
The Rosary will be Thursday at 7 p.m. at the chapel of the Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home, 870 San Benito St. Family and friends will leave the mortuary Friday morning at 9:30. to go to Sacred Heart Church for a mass at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday morning before going to the church.
Donations are preferred to Sacred Heart Church c/o the mortuary chapel.
