Julie Ruiz

Julie Ruiz, 88, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, passed away peacefully with family at her side on September 26 at Little Hospice in Edina. Born in Manila, Philippines to Gaudencio, an electrical engineer, and Epifania, a homemaker, Julie was the second of nine children. Her nursing degree from the University of the Philippines led her to the United States and, eventually, Chicago, where she met Dan. Their courtship led to marriage and a move to New York where their daughters were born. By the time the family moved to Sumner, Iowa, Julie no longer worked as a nurse but helped out at Dr. Dan's physicians office while becoming very involved in her children's activities and volunteer efforts throughout the community. During this time, Julie also earned a master's degree in educational psychology from the University of Northern Iowa. Julie was an active member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, where she served as a lay minister, taught CCD classes and sang in the choir. She often hosted parties and international guests at the family home, where there was always an abundance of food, music and conversation. Julie will be remembered for her musings which brought many smiles and much laughter to a lot of people. Together, Julie and Dan traveled extensively throughout the world, reaching every continent at least once. Eventually, they sold their homes in Iowa and settled down at Summit Place, a senior community. Julie was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers. She is survived by her husband of nearly 62 years, their daughters, Yvette, Myra (Guy Furay) and Rhena (Levi Novero), four grandchildren - Jasmine, Josephine, Dominic and Francesca - and nine grandpets. Additionally, Julie has siblings in Canada and the Philippines. The family would like to thank the team at Park Nicollet Home Hospice Care - especially Darbi and Ashley - for their compassion and care as Julie battled cancer. In remembrance of Julie's life, any charitable donations can be made to Little Hospice, which provided much comfort to her and her family in her final days. Julie's funeral will take place at Pax Christi Catholic Community in Eden Prairie on Monday, October 6. The visitation takes place at 10 a.m., followed by mass at 11 a.m. and a reception afterwards. Pax Christi will provide a live stream of the service, which also be available for viewing later at paxchristi.com