RUBY WARNER CRUISE

Ruby Warner Cruise, 97, of Bluefield, Va., peacefully passed away Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at Bland County Nursing & Rehab in Bastian, Va. Born in Giles County, Va., she was the daughter of the late Arthur Lee Warner and India Comer Warner. She is survived by sons Ron Cruise of Gastonia, N.C., and Jerry Cruise of Bluefield, Va., and a daughter, Cathy Cruise of Fairfax, Va., as well as daughter-in-law Brenda Dillow Cruise and son-in-law Don Insley. She was preceded in death by her husband, Claude R. Cruise, Jr., of Bluefield; an infant son, Anthony Edward Cruise; daughter-in-law Latesha Lawson; and siblings Arvil Lee Warner, Mary Helen Johnston, James Edward Warner, Shirley Ann Smith, Doris Blankenship, and two infant brothers, Walter Jennings Warner and John Travis Warner. Ruby had five grandchildren: Stephanie McDonald, Ashley Hatfield and Derek Cruise of Bluefield, Va., Carter Insley of Columbus, Ohio, and Miran Insley of Fairfax, as well as a great-grandson, Maverick Hatfield, of Bluefield.

Ruby was born and raised in Narrows, Va., and in Eggleston, Va. The third of eight children, she was surrounded by family and friends growing up, living a life much like The Waltons , she often said—in a big country house with lots of siblings. She would tell how her family had the only croquet set in the neighborhood, so all the kids would come there to play. A long hall that ran from the front door to the back of their house served as a dance floor for kids who brought records over.

Ruby graduated from Eggleston High School in 1943, where she was captain of the girls' basketball team. A few months later, she moved to Bluefield to attend the nursing program at St. Luke's Hospital. She recalled St. Luke's being her "home" while she was in school, working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with two hours off each day during the three-year program. After she graduated, Ruby moved to Kingsport, Tenn., but returned to Bluefield a year later to work with Dr. James Thomas at the Bluefield Sanitarium. This started her career as a registered nurse that would span 53 years.

While in nursing school, Ruby met Claude Cruise, the love of her life. Claude was just home from World War II, where he had served in Germany in the Army's 30 ^th Infantry Division. He came to the student's housing one night to pick up his date. When a girl asked who he was there for, he jokingly told her the first girl she saw would be fine. She saw Ruby, and told her that her date had arrived. Ruby took one look at Claude, said, "Oh, I know who you're here for," and went off to get his real date. But afterward, the two kept running into each other. "Every time I turned around, people were pushing us together," Ruby said. Finally, when Ruby's friend June was dating Claude and heading out of town on a trip, she urged Ruby to go out with Claude in her absence. Ruby did. She and Claude eventually eloped on July 18, 1949, at a justice of the peace in Pikeville, Ky. They were married for 72 years, until Claude's death in 2021.

Ruby loved assisting in surgery and was employed at St. Luke's and then at the Bluefield Sanitarium. Later, she proudly worked alongside surgeons Dr. Robert Nielson, Dr. James Thomas, Dr. Frederick Barker, and Dr. Randall Lester at Bluefield Regional Medical Center. She retired from nursing in 1996 at the age of 70.

Ruby loved to travel, and was thrilled to join friends and family on trips that included New York City, Niagara Falls, Boston, Washington, D.C., Savannah, the beaches of North and South Carolina, and the islands of Hawaii and Martinique. One of her favorite excursions was as a delegate to a yearly West Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs conference at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.

Known for her incredibly giving nature, Ruby was a longtime member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Bluefield Civic League, and the Eastern Star. An avid volunteer, she served in many roles, which included teaching Sunday school, helping out at blood drives, assisting at Bluefield's yearly March of Dimes Telerama , holding events at the veteran's hospital, creating and leading a Brownie troop, and bringing her daughter and granddaughters along with her to hand out poppies each year on Veterans Day.

Ruby welcomed everyone she knew into her home and was fondly referred to as "Mama C"  by her daughter's friends. She doted on her grandchildren and, for the past year, her new great-grandson. She loved to bake her special applesauce cakes as gifts for family each Christmas. A big animal lover, she cared for numerous pets over the years, and especially adored her two cats, George and Whitey. Her gentle nature, her strength, compassion, humor, and enduring love will be forever missed.

In her later years, Ruby was blessed to receive much care and support from her children and grandchildren, especially her son, Jerry, and grandson, Derek, who lived with her. She also had a number of wonderful caregivers who greatly supported her health and well-being, and for whom her family is eternally thankful.

A memorial service to celebrate Ruby's life will be held Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Dudley Memorial Chapel at 3 p.m. Friends may visit with the family from 2 p.m. until the hour of the service.