Ruth Ann Cortney

Ruth Ann Cortney was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on August 6, 1933 to Edna Ebarb Mora and Thomas Mora. She died on October 23, 2022, at the age of 89. Known as “Aline”, she was raised in the small rural community of Ebarb, Louisiana and loved going to dances and playing high school softball and basketball. With her adventurous spirit, in 1951 at the age of 18, she moved to Shreveport with three of her cousins to work for the Southern Bell Telephone Company as a switchboard operator. At the Louisiana State Fair she met a handsome young man stationed at Barksdale AFB, Francis Hugh Cortney, who asked her to take a ride with him on the Ferris Wheel. She told him she was scared, so he promised to hold her hand. It was the beginning of a beautiful love story. On March 1, 1952, they were married in Louisiana and started their family. In 1955, they moved to Nebraska, and by January 1964, with ten children under the age of twelve, they relocated to Las Vegas.

Ruth was a devoted mother and excellent Homemaker. After the youngest child entered school, she took a part-time job at Sears in the Custom Drapery Department. She later worked as a Special Education Teacher Assistant and Cafeteria Worker in the Clark County School District. One of the proudest moments in her life was the naming of the Francis H. Cortney Junior High School in 1998. Francis never missed the opportunity to attribute this honor and all his many accomplishments to the love and support of his beloved wife, Ruth.

A true Matriarch, Ruth was a strong Catholic role model for her family. She taught her children the power of prayer and the importance of faith in all situations, joyous or difficult. She had the gift of listening and offering great advice, always encouraging prayer and needed action as the solution. Her recurrent counsel was, ”This too shall pass.”

In her spare time, she loved embroidering and baking. Her delicious homemade rolls, buns, pies, jams, jellies, and Christmas cookies and candies were enjoyed by everyone. She also loved watching Jeopardy and could compete with the champions, impressing all with her knowledge of so many topics. She loved watching sports and rooting for her Cortney Cobras, UNLV Rebels, LSU Tigers, Nebraska Cornhuskers, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, and the Golden Knights.

Ruth’s family was her greatest joy. She loved family gatherings and was happiest when surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was a delightful conversationalist and never forgot a story or a detail. She was strong, faithful, persistent, bright, honest, generous, and quick-witted. Her love will remain in our hearts forever.

Ruth is preceded in death by her husband Francis Hugh Cortney and son Martin Francis Cortney. She is survived by her daughters Theresa Cortney, Audrey (Michael) Dimon, Catherine (Terry) Cottle, and Mary Cortney, and sons Hugh Cortney, Phillip (Colleen) Cortney, Dennis Cortney (fiancé Jessa), Patrick (Stacie) Cortney, and Ed (Sharon) Cortney.

She is also survived by her grandchildren Mathew, Aaron (Tiffany), Stephen, Eric, Dallas (Jaycie), Jessica (Richard), Ashley (Eric), Carly (fiancé Alec), Jason, Christopher (Nicole), Hugh (Megan), Joseph, Ciera (fiancé Cameron), Austin, Brianna, Ian (fiancé Katie), Adam, David, Sean (Qi Yi), Aidan (fiancé April), and Gordon; and great-grandchildren Zoe, Zaylee, Presley, Ashton, Jaxon, Sawyer, Jude, Jimmy, Ruthclaire, Avila, Luke, James, Kennedy, Carson, Quinn, and Haylee, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday November 3, 2022 at 10:00 AM, preceded by the Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 9:30 AM at Prince of Peace Roman Catholic Church, 5485 East Charleston Boulevard Las Vegas, NV 89142. Burial services at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Francis H. Cortney Junior High School, 5301 E. Hacienda Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89122.