Ruth Marie Duffer

Ruth Duffer was born in Nuremburg, Germany on December 27th, 1964. She was preceded in death by her father, Curtis Duffer, her grandbaby, Angel, and her son, Carlos Rivera-Silva. She loved them all immensely. She is survived by her twin sister, Carolyn Armstrong, and her two daughters, Sarah Rubio, and Ashley Rivera-Silva, as well as eight grandchildren: Melina, Osmar, Ricky, Patricia, Delilah, Johnny, Javi, and Luna.

Ruth followed in her father's footsteps and served in the Army. She was a military police officer from 1984 to 1988. She was incredibly proud of her service, and it was one of the happiest periods of her life. She then went on to be a correctional officer for a number of years. She was small but mighty, and she was incredibly beautiful.

Ruth raised three kids mostly on her own. She was resilient, fierce, and made many sacrifices for her children and grandchildren. She loved all her grandchildren infinitely, but she and Melina had a particularly special bond. They had a soul connection from the moment Melina was born.

Life wasn't easy for Ruth but she found ways to turn what little she had into something special. She was a great cook; she could turn the most meager ingredients into something amazing. She also had a fondness for Christmas, and she made the holidays magic for her children even as she struggled. She loved animals with every fiber of her being. She said yes to every stray animal her kids brought home. Ruth was a lone wolf. She felt more at home and loved with her pack of animals than she did with most humans. She always said that, "dogs are angels with fur." She believed the world would be better if humans could love unconditionally like dogs so naturally do. She loved German heavy metal music, wolves, mashed potatoes and gravy, lavender, crystals, and her boots.

She was never the same after Car passed. Her heart was heavy and broken. She kept going for her daughter, Sarah, and her grandbabies, but the grief was heavy. She will be forever missed, and our hearts are heavy with sorrow, but she is reunited with her father, grandbaby, and son.