Kathleen Zanger Ruiz

Kathleen ("Kathy") Zanger Ruiz peacefully passed away in her home in Hollister, CA, on October 19, 2025, at the age of 95. Throughout her long life, she impacted and inspired countless people with her love, resilience, and independent mind.
Kathy was born in Mandan, North Dakota in 1930 and was the third of seven children of Clemens F. and Mary M. (Roche) Kelsch.
Her life was marked by her dedication to the education of both herself and others. After receiving a bachelor's degree in library sciences in 1952 at Saint Catherine University in Minnesota, she moved to California to work as a librarian at Santa Clara University. She later obtained a master's degree in counseling psychology and became the head counselor at Gavilan College, where she also established the women's re-entry program and served as Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Later, she served as president of the San Benito County Board of Education.
Kathy's family life was as robust and impactful as her professional life. After working at Santa Clara University, she had four children in four years with her then husband Joseph Zanger and became grandmother to eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren, each with whom she established a special relationship. Alongside raising her children, she was actively involved in her family's ranch, including painting signs for their roadside cherry stands. In 1989, Kathy married Anthony ("Tony") Ruiz, who was a Spanish teacher at Gavilan College and active in local politics. Together they enjoyed traveling and engaging in politics, and Tony and his family became part of her family. Tony predeceased Kathy in 2018. Kathy adopted multiple dogs throughout her life, each of whom became family to her.
In addition to her professional and family life, Kathy was dedicated to serving her community for over 50 years. She led a committee that established the county's first emergency shelter for the unhoused, headed the Catholic parish's outreach ministry to people in need, volunteered for the mother's club special events at Sacred Heart School, and served for ten years as a court appointed special advocate (CASA) for three children from Monterey County. In 2021 the California Legislature honored extraordinary women from across the state from each district at its "Woman of the Year" celebration. The California Assembly was pleased to select Kathy for this honor.
The common thread throughout the remarkable aspects of Kathy's life was love and compassion. She will be dearly missed by her family and community.
Kathy is survived by four children and their spouses, Wendy (Jon) Scherbart, Allene Zanger (Rob), Joe (Glenda) Zanger, Gretchen (Robert/Tico) Blatter; eight grandchildren and their spouses, Ryan Scherbart, Tom Scherbart, Krista (Dennis) Bartlett, Gerrod (Lea) Zanger, Megan Zanger (Josh Reid), Elliot (Laura) Zanger, Elizabeth (Jimmy) Durham, Jamie Blatter, and eleven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by siblings Thomas Kelsch, and Charles Kelsch.
She was preceded in death by her husbands Joseph Zanger and Anthony Ruiz, her parents, her siblings Robert Kelsch, Jean Cordano, William Kelsch, and David Kelsch.
A memorial mass will be held at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church located at 17400 Peak Ave., Morgan Hill, CA on Wednesday December 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Memorial donations may be made to CASA of Monterey County.