Diane Louise Ruzicka

Born to Anna Louise (Lindquist) Hammond and Dale Edgar Hammond on April 13, 1945 in Walla Walla, Washington, she was the second of three children. Upon reaching high school, her family relocated to Beaverton, Oregon where she attended St. Mary's of the Valley High School. She went on to Oregon State University where she met her future husband, William Joseph Ruzicka. They began a family and eventually settled down in Tigard, Oregon with their three children.

Diane began work in her husband's family business, Ed's House of Gems in Portland, Oregon where her love of geology, rock hounding and jewelry making began. Always eager to learn, Diane had many hobbies including genealogy, quilting, miniature dollhouses, beading and collecting of rocks and good books. She retired after more than 30 years at the shop and found her greatest joy spending time with her granddaughters, visiting Oregon wineries and travelling with family and friends.

Preceded in death by her husband in 1994, Diane had four bouts with cancer before finally passing away, peacefully floating in her daughter’s houseboat on the Willamette River. She is survived by her brother Donald Fred Hammond (Portland, OR), son James Joseph Ruzicka (Eugene, OR), daughter Susan Louise Ruzicka (Scappoose, OR), son John Robert Ruzicka (Tigard, OR) and three granddaughters Dale Carmen Ruzicka, Jorgia Clare Ruzicka and Joanna Louise Ruzicka.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Diane’s name are suggested to:

Willamette Riverkeeper; http://willamette-riverkeeper.org/