Ruby Fern (Zook) Gray

Ruby Fern Gray, 67, of Stanley, Va., went home to be with the Lord on December 9, 2021.

A graduate of Weatherford Highschool in Weatherford, Okla., Ruby went on to study nursing at Hesston College in Hesston, Kan. She graduated in 1974 and started her career as a registered nurse in Calico Rock, Ark., before moving back home to Oklahoma.

After meeting and marrying her husband, Ruby moved to Virginia in 1978, where she continued her nursing profession in Luray, until deciding to become a stay-at-home wife and mother following the birth of her second child. Ruby attended the Church of the Gospel in Aroda, Va.

A homemaker at heart, Ruby poured herself into her children’s homeschool education, co-founding the Page County Home Educators support group in 1994 with her husband and several other families, as well as founding and leading a local 4-H club.

Ruby was a kind and quiet woman who enjoyed giving gifts to others, including baked goods for friends and family, quilted blankets for her children and grandchildren, and most recently, handsewn masks for a local bank during the pandemic. She loved all things purple, southern gospel music, and a good German chocolate cake.

Ruby is survived by her husband, Benjamin; children, JoAnn Stout (Leon) of Stanley, Joshua Gray of Stanley, Aaron Gray (Heather) of Gainesville, Va., and Amanda Maziarz (Jacob) of Fairmont, W.Va.; grandchildren, Timothy, James, Rachel, Calvin, and Felicity; and siblings, Wilbur Zook (Tina) of Unionville, Va., Clifford Zook of Weatherford, Okla., Kathy Kasper (Bruce) of Weatherford, Okla., and Brenda Kilgour (John) of Palmyra, Ind. Ruby was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Goldie Zook; and sister, Donna Gray.

The family will receive friends during a reception from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, December 13 at Stanley New Hope Pentecostal Church, 5074 Farmview Rd, Stanley, VA 22851. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, December 14 at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Ruby may be made to the Stanley Volunteer Rescue Squad, or the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia.

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