Ruth Hill Duerock Noble

Ruth Hill Duerock Noble

December 23, 1923 — August 7, 2024

Ruth Noble, 100, passed away peacefully in her bed on August 7, 2024 in Gig Harbor, WA.

Ruth came into this world in an upstairs bedroom of her father’s ranch outside Meridian, ID, on December 23, 1923 to Angus Franklin Hill and Clara Shock Hill. She was the youngest of 7 children — sister Mary, brothers Angus, Joseph, Carl, Warren, and Earl. When her father died in 1938, her oldest brother Angus took over the farm and her mother moved into town (Meridian) with Ruth, Earl, and Warren.

She married her high school sweetheart Roy Duerock and they had 2 daughters, Karen and Mary. Mary was born in 1945 after Roy’s death (a pilot in WWII) on December 3, 1944.

Ruth married Clark Ralph Noble on June 7, 1949. They had a son Clark, a daughter Nancy, and then another son Lance.

During the war years Ruth moved around due to Roy’s job/training and, besides Idaho, she lived in Wyoming, California, Arizona, and Oregon. When she married Clark his job took them up and down Idaho, and then to California, Alaska, Virginia, and finally to Longmont, Colorado as the retirement location.

Ruth graduated from Meridian High School in 1941. She had one year at Boise Junior College. She got her AA degree in 1959 after going back to school at North Idaho Junior College in Coeur d’Alene. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

Her “career” was really her family, She also worked as an Avon lady in the late ‘60s and into the early 70s. When they moved to Virginia she worked at the National DAR Library as Chief of the Supplemental Division. She had a keen interest in genealogy and doing the research involved. Later, after she and Clark moved to Colorado and her youngest grandchild was born it was the first time she had the blessing of living close to one of her grandchildren. She was so very happy to get to be Esther’s primary babysitter!

Throughout her life Ruth was involved with many ways of “giving back”. She was very active in her churches in the various places she lived, serving in numerous ways. The United Methodist Church was always a focus. She was very devoted to the PEO organization and she was a Past President. She was a Past Regent in DAR and gave a lot of time and effort to it. She also was a mainstay at the Longmont United Hospital (Colorado) as the Friday morning information desk volunteer for over 20 years.

Her husband Clark died on October 3, 2007. In 2011 she moved to Gig Harbor to be closer to her daughter Nancy. She took up residence at (what is now) Gig Harbor Court. That is where she peacefully passed.

Ruth was a kind and generous soul. She embodied all the fruits of the Spirit. A former daughter-in-law of hers said that Ruth was the sweetest person the daughter-in-law knew next to her own grandmother. As her daughter I feel blessed to have had her as an example of how to have a life well-lived. She would make the best of difficult situations, and she certainly dealt with a lot of loss in her life.

She was a great and adventurous cook. She was an amazing baker, showing her love for others by baking each person’s favorite pie for them. At Christmas she would have each of her children pick the 3 cookies recipes they would like to have and she would bake them all.

She loved to garden, to do puzzles (all kinds, but particularly crosswords), and to read. She was a VORACIOUS reader. She was also a very skilled bridge player and spent many a companionable hour with others playing bridge in various groups.

Very grateful thanks are due to the wonderful staff and many caring individuals that looked after Ruth at Gig Harbor Court and from the Franciscan Hospice program — too many names to mention, but you all know how appreciative Ruth was for your kindness and caring ways.

She is survived by her daughter Karen Smith in Lebanon, Oregon; son Clark Noble in McCall, Idaho, daughter Nancy Elwood in Gig Harbor, Washington, son Lance Noble (Aimee) in Loveland, Colorado; her grandchildren: Bryan Van Meter, Dalisa Smith, C.R. Noble, Holly Richerson, and Esther Noble; her great-grandchildren Abbi Van Meter and Colin Richerson; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her 2 husbands, her daughter Mary Van Meter, her son-in-law Bob Van Meter, her son-in-law Gary Elwood, her parents, and all her siblings.

Ruth asked that there be no service. She requested that she be cremated and her remains spread at the Gold Fork Fire Lookout location where she and Clark worked at the beginning of their marriage. That is where Clark’s remains are spread.

If you would like to make a donation in her memory please consider the Gig Harbor United Methodist Church, 7400 Pioneer Way, Gig Harbor, WA 98335 or the Franciscan hospice program.