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Smith -- On August 16, 1999, Ruby Nell Smith, of the Collington Episcopal Life Care Community, Mitchellville, Maryland, died as a result of respiratory complications. Ruby was born on a farm at Goodlett, Texas, on May 20, 1916. After marrying Jess Joseph Smith in 1932, Ruby Nell and her new husband farmed in Texas and later moved to Boulder City, Nevada, where they built their own home while Jess worked as an electrician on the Boulder Dam, now known as the Hoover Dam. During most of the World War II years, Jess was involved in defense work so they moved about the country finally settling in Port Arthur, Texas. In mid-summer 1944, Ruby, Jess, and family moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where they resided for the remainder of their joint lives. Ruby worked at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory as a Data Analyst, now the Los Alamos National Laboratory, retiring in 1965. Upon retirement Ruby moved to Española, New Mexico, where she began her second career buying and selling land in Española. Besides being involved in real estate, Ruby was a member of the Española Valley Chamber of Commerce, active in Democratic politics, was the Eagle’s Mother of the Year and was actively involved in getting legislation passed that would provide for medical insurance coverage for acupuncture treatment in New Mexico. Ruby had such an outgoing personality that she never knew a stranger. Ruby married her second husband, Chester Lewis Smith, a WWII Air Force Pilot and Electrical Contractor in Espanola, on March 21, 1974, and Lewis predeceased Ruby on April 13, 1977. After contacting encephalitis and becoming partially disabled, Ruby moved to the Ponce de Leon retirement community in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For the last five (5) years, Ruby has lived at Collington Episcopal Life Care Community, Mitchellville, Maryland, where she was residing at her death. Ruby was pre-deceased by her husband, Jess, in 1961. Survivors include a daughter, Fran Smith Weiland, of Alexandria, Virginia, two sons, Jess Joseph Smith, Jr. of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and Gary L. Smith, of Coronado, California, eight (8) grandchildren and eleven (11) great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at the Santa Cruz United Methodist Church, 405 McCurdy Road, Española, New Mexico, on Labor Day, Sept. 6, 1999, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception at the Church and then burial at the Guaje Pines Cemetery in Los Alamos, New Mexico, at 2:00 p.m. The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Santa Cruz United Methodist Church, 405 McCurdy Road, Espanola, New Mexico 87532.
        Published on: Fri August 27, 1999