Ruth Aline Mazique

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One of a kind, passionate, funny, sarcastic, sassy, gregarious, challenging, conversationalist, strong-willed, natural born leader, ‘the supervisor’, firecracker, loving, devoutly religious, supportive wife, caring cousin and niece, dedicated mother, and enthusiastic grandmother!

Ruth Aline Barnett was born in Buchanan, Virginia, a small historic town nestled in the mountains of the Roanoke and Shenandoah Valleys. Her parents, Janie Ruth Howe and Allen Barnett, believed that Ruth would have better opportunities in Chicago being raised by her loving grandparents, aunts and uncles. At age 5, she was enrolled at Carter Elementary school where she would quickly become steadfast friends with Rita Williams Mitchell (m) and Helen Russell Rafael whose loving friendships she cherished greatly as recently in December 2022 until she passed.

Ruth began attending Sunday school at the Church of the Good Shepherd (now an historic African- American Congregational/United Church of Christ) which in time evolved her becoming a member in 1945.

Her involvement with Good Shepherd continued to be a central part of her life through substantial participation in religious camps & retreats, administrative church meetings, being Secretary of the Church Sunday School, church leadership on the Board Of Deaconesses as well as Church Treasurer. She also participated in church committees such as her favorites as the December Birthday Group, the Annual Easter Tea (fundraiser) and Good Shepherd Senior Trips (travel club). Her prolific contributions in her servient role were not unnoticed by numerous past and current pastors such as Reverend Arthur Gray, Reverend Kenneth B Smith, and Reverend Jesse Knox. She attributed her church achievements through collaboration, networking, and maybe even dictating, with pastors, other church members/management, and her vast network of suppliers. Along with her ‘church buddies’ who were also lifelong friends, the triumvirate of Ruth, Rita Mitchell, and Lorraine Walton, were not to be stopped! On the softer church side of Ruth, she was married here to Douglas Charles Mazique Sr (1951), had her children baptized (Douglas Jr, 1956, and Brigitte, 1960), her grandchildren Cameron Peebles and Skyler Peebles christened (1990 and 1996), and now honored today in her homegoing.

She mostly loved the planning and execution of her Good Shepherd Senior Trips group that allowed her to leverage her side skills as a professional certified IAATA Travel Agent (25 years).  Many personal itineraries accomplished with her husband Douglas or girlfriends allowed her to be creative with the Senior Trips group planning Amtrak Rail and Diamond Tours coach bus experiences. These annual,  if not more frequent, trips had many participants exploring their African-American heritage and travel bugs. The Underground Railroad tour thru Detroit & Windsor, Canada, Black Cowboys on their Western states trip at the National Black Western Museum in Denver, and selected Native American-owned casinos in the Northeastern New England corridor were just a few of the many fun occasions. Good cop/bad cop was played by her Senior Trips trusted accomplice Cannie Middleton who handled excursions while Ruth focused on logistics. “Your trip insurance is required or you’re staying home!”

Ruth’s educational experiences over time saw her achieve numerous graduations at Carter Elementary School and Englewood High School where she met her future husband, Douglas Mazique Sr.  During the WWII era, Englewood was a racially-integrated high school and notably produced such outstanding achievers such as Oscar Brown Jr (political activist), Geraldine Page (Academy Award winning actress), Lorraine Hansberry (the first African-American Broadway playwright winner), and Nichelle Nichols (famed Star Trek actress and NASA Minority and Female Recruiter & Ambassador).

Following Ruth’s graduation from Englewood, she enrolled at University of Illinois at Navy Pier but received an Associate Degree at Olive Harvey ‘Junior’ College. Not being enough educationally for her, she tirelessly studied for decades and subsequently graduated from Chicago State University numerous times achieving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, a Master of Science in Education with focus on Reading, and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Supervision. These educational accomplishments would not have been achieved without the loving support from her immediate family and guidance counseling from her fellow educators – Rita Williams Mitchell, Mary Mildred Goosby, Cathy Jo Williams, and numerous others.

Ruth leveraged these educational skills over 25 years with the Chicago Public School system and founded the Chicago Academic Games which specialized in reading competitions for participants. Her last five years in the system was as a Reading Resource Consultant at JN Thorp Elementary school on Chicago’s East side near the Chicago Skyway. The camaraderie she felt with fellow educators such as Portia McFarland and Joan Krykowski and many others gave her stimuli to focus on only the best for her students. Outside of the CPS system, Ruth also became involved in the Hyde Park and Lakefront councils of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) for her need of community involvement.

Other community involvement activities of Ruth included the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, Hyde Park Co-Op, and the 5200 Greenwood Block Association of which energetic neighbors (Allen, Kazazis, Hamp, McClendon, Cochcrane, Sosa and many other families) fought the encroachment of ill-designed ‘urban development’ of that time period leading to substantial redesign changes for adjacent block properties and the eventual City of Chicago historical landmark designation for the 5200 block.

Raising two children, while husband Douglas Sr worked overnights as a route salesman driver for the famed Burney Bros. Bakery, was not an easy task, but she managed to ensure we were involved in cultural development activities like piano, clarinet, swimming team, ballet, reading, Cub Scouts, Camp Martin Johnson (HP YMCA) & HP Jewish Community Center (JCC). She and our father instilled us to further our education by supporting our collegiate and post-collegiate goals through numerous campus visits and Parent/Professor advisory sessions. She was very proud after Douglas Jr received his Bachelor’s degree (Carroll College (University))/Master’s Degree from Colorado State University and Brigitte’s Bachelor’s Degree (Hampton Institute) and Master’s Degree (Western Michigan University).

Nothing would deter Ruth from accomplishing her multiple ‘supervising’ projects whether around her now-vintage house, church activities, or extended family visits. She reluctantly embraced the oncoming digital revolution by learning to operate PCs, Laptops, Windows 7 & 10, and basic Microsoft Office products. She merged the new skills with old lessons by calling her tech consultants from early morning to late-night. “Hey Cathy/RuthElaine/ MaryMildred/SammieEllis/DouglasJr! Gotta a minute – my (insert here) isn’t working right!” But Ruth got her

‘projects’ completed whether technical or physical (thanks to great support from Handyman Chris Hollie and several others) and greatly appreciated their assistance.

When husband Douglas, Sr. passed away (1997), she outwardly expressed her continued love of new experiences such as enhancing the backyard with (at the time) was the biggest deck ever on the block and rounding up the grandkids and families with a mega-trip to Disney World but still was ‘Ruth’ having each adult member contribute financially to their chosen component of the vacation. Despite long and arduous air travel, she enjoyed visiting daughter Brigitte and family in Raleigh NC numerous times and even managed to squeeze in attending a Shirley Caesar sermon or two or visiting EVERY furniture store in High Point, NC. Visiting Douglas, Jr. was also a treat for her since he moved every few years (corporate/personal changes) from Cleveland to New Jersey to Denver to Palm Springs, and now Northern Seattle region which allowed her to roll out her interior design thoughts whether needed or not. “ And don’t forget to buy a house where I can go to the corner and catch a bus downtown!”

One of her last post-Douglas, Sr. family visits was a huge undertaking yet thoroughly enjoyed. Year 2019 brought her to the Seattle area by plane visiting Douglas and his partner Dwight along with Dwight’s relatives. Thanksgiving Day was a Battle of the Grandmas which was a comical sight to behold. No one won fortunately. A speedy Amtrak Cascades train ride then took her to Eugene, Oregon for her first-time visit seeing her great-grandson Kai, Cameron’s newborn son. She really enjoyed seeing him while simultaneously debating her daughter-in-law & Kai’s maternal grandmother on the joys of motherhood.

Ruth managed to keep her spirits lively while her body began to fail her thereby causing a dramatic move from independent home living to an assisted living facility in late 2021. Brookdale Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park was chosen since it supported all the amenities she needed and requested. It was not an easy transition but besides occasional family and friends visits, she was greatly appreciated by the Assisted Living Nursing and Care teams since she kept them challenged as only Ruth would do.

The accompanying pictures only begin to display a portion of the joy, excitement, thoughtfulness, and pride Ruth Aline Mazique brought in our lives.

Ruth was preceded in death by her loving husband, Douglas Sr of 46 years. She will be sorely missed by her son, Douglas Jr. (Dwight Hendricks); and daughter Brigitte Mazique Peebles (Millard ‘Pete’); grandson Cameron Allen Mazique Peebles (Danielle); granddaughter Skyler Breanne Mazique Peebles; brother Edward L Carter; sister Jacquelyn Watkins; great-grandson Kai Louis Peebles (Cameron & Danielle); beloved First cousins (Mary Mildred Goosby, Sylvia (Pat) Luster, Cathy Jo Williams); cousins Yvonne Howe Hawkins, Tracy Howe Garner, Renee Barnett Terry, Louis Stephen Scott, Gayla Fontaine, Leona Vonesse Simmons, Leslie Drew Wilson; best friends Rita L Mitchell and Helen Russell Rafael; godsons Kevin J Mitchell, MD and Nirvana Muni;  and a host of other relatives, church members, colleagues, and friends.

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and

I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.