Ruth LaReal Eyring

Ruth LaReal Eyring passed away peacefully on November 10, just shy of her 102nd birthday, amazing everyone, including herself, by living so long in remarkably good mental and physical health.
Born in 1923 in Charleston, W. VA, to Oscar and Flora (Trent) Patton, the eldest of eight children, LaReal adored spending time at her grandparents' country store in nearby Guthrie and had lots of stories about her grandmother's pickles (barreled dills) and her grandfather's politics (FDR Democrat).
She was a resourceful and loving mother of four, a lifelong learner with a fondness for crossword puzzles, a wonderful cook and hostess, and a devoted partner to her husband LeRoy Eyring (ASU chemistry professor emeritus--Eyring Materials Center). The name-matched pair (LaReal and LeRoy) met as teenagers, when he traveled from his home in Pima, AZ, to Charleston, W. VA, on his way to fulfill an LDS mission in England. She was 17 and already a college student (B.Y.U.) when they married, and their union lasted for 65 years until his death in 2005.
For more than 30 years, she volunteered at ASU's Art Museum Store, managing it from 1989-2010 with the help of many other dedicated docent volunteers. Her impeccable taste created a destination shopping spot with a wide range of high-quality art, crafts, toys, and cards from around the world. And she handled all the inventory without a computer! Sales from the Store purchased many works of art for the museum.
When asked what she was most proud of in her life, she said she'd married a wonderful man. While he was in the Navy (1944-1946) and finishing his Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley, she worked in a legal office, traveling the Key Route into San Francisco every day. The two traveled widely for his scientific work, in 1958-9 taking their young family abroad for two years to Europe and Australia. While he consulted at various universities, she took care of the family's domestic arrangements, often in countries where she didn't speak the language. In 1961, they took up permanent residence in Arizona. He became chair of the Chemistry Department, and they built a house in Scottsdale (later Paradise Valley), taking design inspiration from Taliesin West.
Three of LaReal's children survive her: Michelle Dow (Philip), Patricia Castalia (Bradford), and Gregory Eyring (Heidi). A daughter, Cynthia Eyring (James Fleming), died in 2006. She also has four grandchildren: Drew and Ryan Castalia, and Katherine and Benjamin Eyring.
In accordance with her wishes, there will not be a traditional funeral. Instead, a gathering at the family home will celebrate LaReal's long and remarkable life.