Ruby Payton

Ruby Eileen Payton passed away peacefully on May 22nd, at the Sun Health Hospice in Sun City West at the age of 83. Ruby was born in Shelbyville, Illinois on August 30th, 1925, as the youngest of eight children: Lloyd, Carl, Effie "Toots", Burton "Burt", Myrtle, Edith and Lela. Her father was Milton Abner Smith, a vegetable farmer, and her mother was Molly Pritchard. During World War II she joined the Navy to train as a nurse. She was working at a hospital in East St. Louis just after the war ended when she met Donald Frederick Payton, a returned Navy medic who had served in the Pacific. They were married on May 4th, 1946 and moved to Seattle where they had two children, Greg born in 1947 and Gary 1951. The family moved in the early 50's to Phoenix and eventually settled down in Maryvale. There, Ruby was a homemaker who sometimes took jobs outside the house, while her husband worked at repairing fighter jets at Luke Air Force Base and later as head of shipping and receiving at Valley hospitals. They both enjoyed dinners and card games with friends, and going to plays and shows. In the 60's, the couple took up competitive dance roller skating, and even won medals in Arizona state championships. After they retired, Ruby and her husband moved to Sun City in 1992. Don died of cancer in 1998, and Ruby, who for several years had had poor health due to cardiovascular problems, lived alone afterwards. She was not able to travel anymore, but always enjoyed visits from her family. She was very thankful for her friends at the senior center and her church, but especially for the good neighbors around her who constantly looked after her. She is survived by her sons Greg and Gary, and four grandchildren: Sean, Josh, Quinn and Emmalie.