Ruth Pflaum Kelly

1934 - 2020

Ruth Pflaum Kelly
October 12, 1934 - October 5, 2020
La Jolla
Ruth's three-year old great-grandson, Teddy, wasn't sure if Grandma Ruth would float to heaven in a submarine or if God would put on his shoes and walk down the stairway from heaven to get her. Either way, Ruth left this world on Monday afternoon, October 5, and is finally at peace after a years-long battle with Alzheimer's.Ruth was born on October 12, 1934 in Des Moines, Iowa to Dr. Harry & Esther Collins, she was the 4th of 6 children and lived on Greenwood Drive. She attended St. Augustine Grade School and Theodore Roosevelt High School. Ruth spent a semester at St. Mary's College of Notre Dame before transferring to the University of San Diego College for Women (now USD) when her family relocated to La Jolla from Des Moines in 1955. It is here where she met her first husband, Navy Lt. George A. Pflaum, at a Tea Dance. George was from Dayton, Ohio, on ship while at port in San Diego and joined the dance on campus.Ruth and George married at Mary Star of the Sea church in La Jolla on June 30th, 1956 and then moved to Dayton, Ohio where George joined the family business, The Pflaum Publishing Company. After fifteen years in Dayton, the family moved to La Jolla in 1971 with their 4 children George, Anne, Jill & Jane. Ruth made the best of San Diego weather and became an avid tennis player and lover of the ocean. She was an ardent Padres fan and enjoyed listening to games on the radio, watching them on TV and attending games with her family. After George's sudden death by heart attack on June 10, 1981, Ruth earned her Real Estate license, an Interior Design certificate and (later in life) learned to paint, her colorful landscapes brightened her home and were enjoyed by all who visited.In 1983 Ruth reconnected with Des Moines schoolmate, Dr. Richard 'Dick' Kelly, who had moved to San Diego and was, at the time, Principal of the School of the Madeline in Bay Park and later at the University of San Diego High School (USDHS) in Linda Vista. Ruth and Dick married at All Hallows Church, La Jolla, in 1984. They were both deeply involved in founding and supporting Nativity Prep Academy. Ruth was widowed for the second time when Dick passed away in February 2019.Ruth was a person of great faith and could be heard telling friends that what got her through George's sudden death at 46 was "Faith, Family & Friends, and in that order". She was a long-time parishioner of All Hallows Catholic parish since its founding sixty-one years ago in 1959. Ruth enjoyed many simple pleasures: See's Candy, Margaritas and guacamole, ice cream, roses, entertaining small groups of friends and relatives and enjoying sunsets from the family room of her beautiful home. But perhaps her greatest joy was her family especially her 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.Ruth is survived by her 4 children George (Lyn) Pflaum, Anne (Ted) Peterson, Jill (Gene) Walsh and Jane. Nine grandchildren Therese (Greg) Glass, Matt Pflaum, Jack (Marisa) Peterson, Bo (Lila) Peterson, Will Peterson, Michael Peterson, John (Katie) Walsh, Ryan (Tori) Walsh & First Lieutenant Dylan Walsh. And her great-grandchildren Teddy, Robert (Rip), Helen Peterson and Audrey Glass.She is also survived by two siblings Robert 'Bob' Collins and Mary (Collins) Mulvihill both of La Jolla, sister's-in-law Alicia Collins (La Jolla), Judy Collins (Rancho Santa Fe) and Sandy Collins (Point Loma). George's brother Bill Pflaum (Palo Alto), George's sister's Julie (Pflaum) Gilvary (Dayton, OH) and Jeanne (Pflaum) Gnuse (New Canaan, CT) as well as George's sister-in-law Kathy Pflaum (Bath, England), Dick's sister Sheila (Kelly) O'Neil (Albuquerque, NM) and Dick's foster son Marc (Hannah) Brown, Cecilia & Richard (San Diego).Our family would like to thank Elizabeth Hospice for their support the past few weeks and for the tireless caregivers from AdvantaCare, Windward Life Care and LivHOME, especially Ana and Marylou.In lieu of flowers mom would be humbled if you were to send a donation in her name to All Hallows Catholic Church, 6602 La Jolla Scenic Drive South, La Jolla, CA 92037 or Alzheimer's San Diego, 6632 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA 92111.Due to COVID, services were held on Saturday, October 10, for immediate family.