Yuan, Ruby Jong

Fairport: August 17, 1918-April 18, 2016. Ruby was a knitter. The socks, sweaters, scarves, hats and blankets she made for family, friends and those in need, warm the world with her love. Ruby made music. She played the piano and was trained as a piano teacher who has taught and encouraged many young musicians. After marrying her partner for life, Huan Yu, aka George, Ruby became known as Barbara, Patricia, and Georgia’s mother. Other hats she wore include PTA volunteer, Sunday School teacher, thrift shop organizer, volunteer archivist, and most lately, hymn sing leader and Mah Jong Cueen. In all that she pursued, she never stopped going deeper.

Ruby and George were married on December 21, 1942 and lived in New York City where they raised their three daughters. They enjoyed hostlng dinner parties for an endless stream of visitors to their home including siblings from China, relatives, church and lifelong friends and George’s fraternity brothers from Rho Psi. Ruby filled her journals with dinner menus and guest lists. Ruby was a researcher and a lifelong learner who was as comfortable in Chinese as she was in English.

She was born Ruby (Bao-yu) Jong in NYC in 1918 and took pride in being an American citizen even though she spent her childhood and adolescence in Shanghai. She returned to NYC in 1937 to finish high school, attended New York University and ultimately graduated from Dubuque College in Iowa. Ruby and George settled in NYC where Ruby’s sisters and brothers also lived, they moved to Penfield, NY in 1990. Ruby was an active member of the Penfield United Methodist Church, and a volunteer for the Penfield Symphony and the Penfield Public Library.

Ruby loved playing games and doing jigsaw puzzles. When she heard about computers she had someone teach her coding, when she heard about FaceBook she asked her daughter to open an account for her so she could keep track of family and friends and especially see photos of her grandchildren. She was a competitive Scrabble player, a strategic mah jongg player and a great bridge partner for George.

In addition to George, who resides at the Fairport Baptist Home in Fairport, NY, and her sisters and brothers, she is survived by her daughters Barbara Gerber (Don Gerber), Patricia Zuroski, and Georgia Yuan (Larry Meinert), grandchildren John, Jeff, Julie, Eugenia, Kathryn, Emma, Kimberley, and James, and great-grandchildren Peter, Nathan, William, Christopher, Grayson, Ruby, and Felicity. She was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Gregory Zuroski.

We will miss her energy, curiosity, love, and ability to see the best in everything and everyone.

A memorial service will be held at the Penfield United Methodist Church at 1795 Baird Road, Penfield, NY 14526 at 3 PM on Saturday April 23, 2016. The family requests that memorials go to the Penfield United Methodist Church music program in lieu of flowers.