Ruby Lenora Tyson

On September 17, 2025, the Lord called home one of His most faithful servants, Ruby Lenora Tyson. To know Ruby was to know love, laughter, and the steady presence of a woman whose faith guided every step of her journey.

Ruby was born as the eldest daughter to Shellie and Beulah White on June 27, 1931, in Gates County, North Carolina, where she was nurtured by a loving family who taught her the values of hard work, kindness, and devotion to God. She carried those lessons with her throughout her life, and they became the foundation upon which she built a life of purpose and meaning.

Although her roots began in the rural North Carolina town, Ruby would later cement Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as her permanent home away from home. Here, she would marry and later divorce Donald Johnson, with the union blessing her with two daughters – Donna Marie Johnson and Reneé Johnson. When one door closes, another will open, as she would soon meet and marry the love of her life of over 50 years, Odell Tyson, who also stepped in as the father to raise their two daughters. Ruby and Odell also raised their two grandsons as their very own Ernest and Reginald.

Ruby was more than a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. She was a rock for her family and a light for her community. She lived her life in service to others, becoming a Practical Nurse at Albert Einstein Medical Center, where she retired with over thirty years under her belt and was celebrated for her dedication to the position by co-workers and family. That would later inspire her daughter, Reneé, to follow in her footsteps and become a nurse as well.

Ruby was always ready to offer a helping hand, a listening ear, or a comforting word. Her kitchen table was a place of fellowship, either on the phone with her sisters, watching her 7:00 PM block of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy (well, the whole Game Show Network), or cooking breakfast every morning, no matter what, because in her words, "Ooh, you gotta eat something!" She always made sure 2474 78th Ave was cleaned to a T, sweeping the iconic red carpet in the home with a broom and dustpan before going back over it with the silver Kirby vacuum cleaner, sweeping the front steps of leaves and trash, watering her many plants in the living room, and doing her every other day laundry wash in the basement. Ruby made the home a refuge of warmth, where Thanksgivings were held annually, and a place where her grandkids never wanted to leave. Speaking of, all of her grandchildren always felt like they hit the lottery every birthday, with Ruby gifting them a $10 check (upgraded to $20 cash once you hit your twenties) in their birthday card!

While Ruby may have stopped driving a car decades ago, that never stopped her from being out in these streets! You could find her at the Produce Junction, Acme, ShopRite, or PathMark grocery shopping or quick late-night road trips to the casinos in Delaware with her niece Jean, who was always down for the cause. She would join in on the family's Black Friday all-day shopping trips to Willow Grove Mall or Cheltenham Mall. She delighted in growing her greens in the backyard, listening to a word being preached on her favorite AM radio station while humming her favorite Gospel hymns, and always offering to wash, dry, iron, and fold your clothes even when you tell her not to. They may seem like daunting tasks, but these things brought her joy in knowing that she made a difference and put a smile on someone's face. These simple pleasures were treasures to her, and she shared them freely with those around her. Ruby had a way of making everyone feel seen and valued. Even at the age of 93 in early 2024, Ruby became a viral sensation on her granddaughter's Charné's Instagram for her beauty and wellness brand, The Garden Lounge VB. In a series of three videos with Ruby getting styled, the reels amassed over twenty-five million views and caught the eye of blogs and well-known entertainment personalities! Whether through her warm smile, her unserious sense of humor, her gentle wisdom, or her quiet acts of kindness, Ruby left a mark that will never fade.

Ruby's faith was the cornerstone of her life. In Philadelphia, she was a faithful servant in Mt. Airy Baptist Church and Bethel Baptist Church, where she worshiped, prayed, and gave of herself to uplift others. For the past few years, Ruby would attend Sunday services with her sister Alice Marie Wynn at Faith Temple COGIC in Norfolk, VA. She trusted in God's promises and found strength in His word, carrying herself with grace through every season of life.

After making her move to Virginia Beach, VA in 2016 following Odell's passing, her daughter Reneé and son-in-law Ray gave her the life of true retirement, with Ray making her breakfast every morning, she and Reneé doing their favorite thing – shopping, niece Linda looking after her if there was a trip she was unable to attend, tagging along with granddaughters Dineé and Charné to get her the latest wigs during their beauty supply store runs, and grandson Reggie being her go-to "tech support guru" to fix everything from her TV, cell phone, and radio. Ruby even went on her first cruise in 2016 and another in 2019 during the White-Wynn Family Reunion. In typical late-night owl fashion, you could find "The Sisters" – Ruby and Alice ordering 24-hour room service or in the casino. She also let her hair down on the beaches of the Bahamas and Dominican Republic, even trying a sip of the latter island's special beverage, Mama Juana! Ruby was finally able to just relax and enjoy life!

Ruby is reunited in glory with those who passed before her: her parents, Beulah and Shellie White, Sr.; husband, Odell Tyson, and siblings, Shellie, Jr., Ralph, Barry, Mary-Lou, Bennie, and Alice, along with other beloved family members.

She leaves to cherish her memory her daughters Donna Marie Russell and Reneé Scott, son-in law Reginald "Ray" Scott, Sr., her two grandsons that were more like sons: Ernest Johnson (Margie) and Reginald A. Johnson, her two nieces that were more like bonus daughters: Jean Briscoe and Linda Holliman (Chester), Goddaughter Marsha Greene, grandchildren: Nathanial F. Russell, Janet Reneé Russell, Dineé Lenora Russell, Reginald "Reggie" Scott II, and Charné Raenette Scott, and several great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great nephews, cousins, bonus family members, and friends. Though her absence leaves a space, her spirit will continue to live on in the lives she shaped and the love she poured into others.

Her legacy is not measured in wealth or possessions, but in the love she gave, the faith she lived, and the lives she touched.

We celebrate her life with gratitude, knowing that while our hearts are heavy with loss, they are also full of the beautiful memories and laughs (and food recipes) we will hold forever. The one and only and one of a kind, Ruby!

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." – Exodus 20:3