Obituary of Ruth Arveilla Johnson

Ruth Johnson passed peacefully at 6:15pm on New Year’s Eve 2023 of natural causes.

She was born Ruth Arvilla Ward on Christmas Eve of 1929 to parents John and Edna (Tramel) Ward in Hollow, Oklahoma.

 

Ruth married the father of her children, Alvin LaVasseur at a young age and they moved to California to raise their family.  She convinced her sister Mavis and her family to move to California with them. Ruth loved California and loved being close to her sisters Ruby, Myrtle and Mavis as well as their mother Edna. The 5 of them loved their frequent shopping trips together.

 

Ruth and Alvin divorced in 1964, after which she met and married Viviano (Vince) Lozoya. During their marriage they worked many years for Barbara Streisand. Vince was a master gardener and maintained the Streisand estate in Malibu. Ruth designed and maintained a barrage of fresh floral arrangements for every room of every house on the estates in Malibu and Beverly Hills. They were married many years until Vince succumbed to cancer.

 

Ruth later met Patrick Johnson, a retired naval officer at a dance in Northern California. They fell in love and married on New Years Eve in 1989. They enjoyed life to the fullest and made their home together in Willow Creek, CA for twenty-nine years. Every morning Patrick greeted Ruth with “Good Morning Gorgeous”, and she returned the greeting with “Good Morning Handsome”. Patrick succumbed to cancer in May of 2018 with Ruth by his side.

 

Ruth moved to Loveland, Colorado in late 2018 following Patrick’s death to be close to her half-sister Mavis (Maisie, as Ruth called her) and her family. Ruth truly enjoyed this time with her sister.

 

Ruth is preceded in death by her parents John and Edna (Tramel) Ward, son Alvino LaVasseur, daughter Terri Cantrell, her spouses Alvin LaVasseur(1), Viviano Lozoya(2) and Patrick Johnson(3). She is also preceded by her siblings Lena, Roy, Ruby, Earl, Myrtle and John.

 

Ruth is survived by many loving family members. Grandsons Randy LaVasseur, Arrick LaVasseur (Sheri), Granddaughters Hayley Khalifah (Ibrahim), Kaira Hermes, Cassie Cantrell. Stepchildren Kathy Wollum, Debra Carratello and Patrick M Johnson. Great-Grandchildren Aaron, Adam, Hannah, Rachel, Randy, Rodney, Lexi, Alli, Dominic and Lilith. And many Great Great-Grandchildren. She is also survived by her half-sister Mavis Kelsey (Dennis), nieces Denise (Steve) Smith, Sue (Jason) Kelsey, Sheila Sandoval and Great Nieces and Nephews.

 

Fulfilling Ruth’s wishes, her ashes are to be scattered at sea.

 

We will all miss her terribly, but will cherish our memories of her gentle ways and her caring heart.

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