It is with a heavy heart that I reproduce this obituary from AZCentral.com for the AYC’s Founder, Ruth Beals. The posting of this obituary can be found here, along with the guest book.
Ruth’s life began in Pickerington, Ohio, and ended in Phoenix on Halloween morning, a favorite prank-filled holiday for her. She left her small town for work at a Columbus radio station and after the war was married to Sue and Margie’s father in Palm Springs. They lived in Phoenix without air conditioning amid scorpions near 7th Ave. and Glendale (out in the country) and began to acquire wonderful lifetime friends.
Mom believed anything to do with water in the desert deserved support so selling sailboats on Indian School Road wasn’t impossible. So she did it. Mom enjoyed those with whom she had common interests and founded the Arizona Yacht Club in 1958. To all you sailors out there, Ruth bids you a final (and hopefully breezy) “Sails Ahoy”.
While working at the Court of Appeals, she met an inventor with a wave making machine in his backyard. An ocean in Tempe didn’t seem out of the question, so with Ruth’s persistence and Clairol’s backing Big Surf was built. Mom was hired to manage the rental and gift shop and eventually modeled for Clairol’s Silk and Silver hair products. Associated General Contractors was another work experience and she produced the “Blue Streak” publication and managed the plan room.
For those of you who have found delight in the springtime flowers of Arizona, the thrill of rafting down the Colorado, the peace of trodding the Hillshire’s of England along with the new perspective of driving on the left side of the road, the breathless accomplishment of climbing the pyramids of Mexico, trodding the cobblestone streets of San Miguel de Allende, enjoying summers in Alpine or Hawley Lake or Bisbee, sailing the silent lagoons and rolling waters of Bora Bora, watching a volcano erupt in Guatemala, marveling at Europe, surviving an Atlantic force-10 storm onboard a freighter crossing the ocean for two months, Ruth salutes you. Our loyal lady encouraged and inspired three men, their families, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and lived her life in grace, beauty and wit. Although “life could be grim at times” insisted, “You never know until you’ve tried. The worst they can say is ‘No.’ ” She said life needed three things for success: security, identity and stimulaton and each person had to provide their own. For all of you who had the pleasure of knowing Ruth, survive her with joy in exploring and learning. That would be her wish.
Club in 1958. To all you sailors out there, Ruth bids you a final (and hopefully breezy) “Sails Ahoy”. While working at the Court of Appeals, she met an inventor with a wave making machine in his backyard. An ocean in Tempe didn’t seem out of the question, so with Ruth’s persistence and Clairol’s backing Big Surf was built. Mom was hired to manage the rental and gift shop and eventually modeled for Clairol’s Silk and Silver hair products. Associated General Contractors was another work experience and she produced the “Blue Streak” publication and managed the plan room. For those of you who have found delight in the springtime flowers of Arizona, the thrill of rafting down the Colorado, the peace of trodding the Hillshire’s of England along with the new perspective of driving on the left side of the road, the breathless accomplishment of climbing the pyramids of Mexico, trodding the cobblestone streets of San Miguel de Allende, enjoying summers in Alpine or Hawley Lake or Bisbee, sailing the silent lagoons and rolling waters of Bora Bora, watching a volcano erupt in Guatemala, marveling at Europe, surviving an Atlantic force-10 storm onboard a freighter crossing the ocean for two months, Ruth salutes you. Our loyal lady encouraged and inspired three men, their families, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and lived her life in grace, beauty and wit. Although “life could be grim at times” insisted, “You never know until you’ve tried. The worst they can say is ‘No.’ ” She said life needed three things for success: security, identity and stimulaton and each person had to provide their own. For all of you who had the pleasure of knowing Ruth, survive her with joy in exploring and learning. That would be her wish.
November 9th, 2010 at 9:53 am
So sorry to hear of Ruths passing. I joined the club probably 2nd generation in 1974,and have only met Ruth a couple of times, but if not for her I would not have enjoyed the past 36 years of sailing in this beautiful state, or the companionship of many wonderful people. Thank you Ruth for all you’ve done for us. Dennis Lynde, Past Commodore, AYC
November 9th, 2010 at 9:54 am
I met Ruth just once, at the inaugural Ruth Beals Cup race, and took her for a brief ride in our C14. She loved it. So did I. She was full of life and curiosity and fun, the very things that she brought to the desert with the Arizona Yacht Club. Clearly it’s something she passed along to her kids (who were also at that inaugural race) who remembered their mother with this wonderfully written obituary.