By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Ruby V. Torosian
June 15, 1926 - Dec 31, 2016
Placeholder Image

Ruby Viola Torosian, 90, of Turlock, died Saturday at Emanuel Medical Center.  She was born near Scotland, South Dakota, the 5th of 8 children born to lifelong farmers Gottlieb and Theresa Frey.

At age 17 Ruby moved to Berkeley, CA, to be near her sisters, Mary and Gertrude.  During that time, she worked at a pharmacy and also at Marshall Steele Dry Cleaners.  In the late 1940s she followed her sister, Mary Davis, to Turlock, where she went to work for Hauck’s Pharmacy and later met Art Torosian on a blind date.  They were married in a Las Vegas church in 1953.

In their first and only home near Crane Park, Ruby and Art raised two daughters, Terry and Cheryl, where Ruby provided a wonderful atmosphere.  She could always be counted on to greet her daughters with snacks after school and an ear to listen to their activities of the day.

She could also be found helping Art at the family ranch with harvesting grapes and walnuts and with driving the tractor and old blue pick-up.

Ruby loved her home and garden, and she would often be found in the yard cutting roses or sitting in her rocking chair on the back porch enjoying the day.  In the last year, she found special enjoyment visiting with the neighborhood “Kitty” that adopted her.

During husband Art’s illness, Ruby was always by his side to take care of his many needs until his death in 2004.

Mrs. Torosian is survived by daughters Terry Dorenzo and Cheryl Torosian (Ilene); sisters Mary Davis, Gertrude Christensen, and Ella Auch; four step-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, Ruby was preceded in death by her sister Olivia Evans and brothers Ferd, Arthur, and Melvin Frey.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 6, at Turlock Funeral Home, 425 N. Soderquist Rd., with a funeral service to be conducted at 2 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 7, at the same location.  Interment will take place at Turlock Memorial Park with a reception to follow at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10001 or the BrightFocus Foundation, 22512 Gateway Center Dr., Clarksburg, MD 20871.