Ruth Diefenbach

1950 - 2017

Ruth Gray Diefenbach

November 8, 1950 -September 11, 2017

Ruth Diefenbach passed away peacefully on Monday, September 11, following a courageous seven-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Her absence will leave our world a little less joyful, and she will be missed by her family and the many friends she made on her way through life. At her passing, she joins her parents, Howard and Ruth Raymond. She is survived by her husband, William (Bill), her children, Christina (and husband, Andrew), Becker (and wife, Sarah), and numerous cousins from Michigan. Her family was her pride and joy, and they were steadfast supporters and comforters throughout her life and illness.
Ruth was born in Detroit and raised in Birmingham, Michigan, where she attended Seaholm High School and met her future husband, Bill, at age 16 in the Birmingham-Bloomfield Teen Center. She graduated in 1972 with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan ("Go Blue"), where she was active in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and served as president of the Eta chapter. After college, Ruth married Bill, moved to and worked in the banking industry in Chicago, then moved to San Francisco in 1974, where she worked as a Certified Financial Analyst for Crocker Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, and then ran her own business with a partner - Valuation Analysts. Ruth and Bill had a loving marriage for 45 years, and they lived in San Francisco's Seacliff neighborhood for 32 years.
Her desire to be a mother was realized twice when Ruth gave birth to Christina in 1981 and Becker in 1985. She was an ideal mother, giving a great deal of love and guidance to her children, who returned it throughout their lives, especially when Ruth most needed it.
Her belief in giving back was evident by the many activities and organizations in which she participated; including Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center, Metropolitan Club, Kappa Alpha Theta (sorority alumnus), P.E.O., and St. Luke's Episcopal Church, where she led Sunday school and was a member for 36 years. In most of these organizations, Ruth assumed leadership positions and did much of the work.
With Bill, Ruth enjoyed several wonderful trips abroad; including many to Europe, Australia, Peru, Russia, Denmark, Norway, and Japan. She also appreciated seeing family and college friends during annual trips to Michigan, where they attended University of Michigan football games and relaxed at a family summer home "Matabanic", in Grayling, Michigan. She and her family also made annual pilgrimages for more than 40 years to Mt. Lassen, where they stayed at Drakesbad Guest Ranch and hiked, swam, played games, roasted marshmallows and told stories around a camp fire.
Ruth was an incredibly strong person in every way, from her physical health, to her long career as a Certified Financial Analyst, and her primary accomplishment of raising Christina and Beck. Ruth had an assured and peaceful personality, which was quickly evident to anyone who encountered her. She was organized, efficient, and exact, and that is probably why she was often stuck with calculating the dinner check and managing the spreadsheet after a group vacation. She had an expressive face and could calm a situation or silence a dispute by simply glaring at you with her big, brown eyes. She was a dedicated and loyal friend who was always there to give advice, help, or just listen, and she was the "go-to" member of her family, business associates, and circle of friends. There were many instances over the years when a distraught friend or neighbor called Ruth with a question, an issue, or a crisis, which she invariably diffused by offering calm and logical solutions. Those relatives, friends, and neighbors will greatly miss their gentle and faithful counselor.
A Celebration of Life will be held later this fall. Contributions in Ruth's name may be made to www.StLukesSF.org, www.TelHi.org, www.KappaAlphaTheta.org, or www.Alz.org or to a charity of your choice.