[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15216]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING RUBY RIDDLE

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, they call Fairbanks in my home 
State of Alaska the ``Golden Heart City.'' Ruby Riddle, who moved to 
Fairbanks from North Carolina in 1963 called it ``heaven.'' Ruby would 
know this. She was designated Official Hostess of the City of Fairbanks 
in 2001 and of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 2006. With the 
Mayors of the City of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough at 
her bedside, ``Miss Ruby'' passed away on November 1, 2012. I rise 
today to speak in memory of a lovely lady who epitomized all that is 
special about Interior Alaska.
  Ruby Lenore Riddle was reportedly eighty something when she died. A 
true Southern woman never admits her age. She was born on St. Patrick's 
Day, March 17, in Lenoir, NC. An independent spirit, Ruby came north 
with her husband in 1963. He passed away in 1989 and she decided to 
stay in Alaska. Fairbanks was Miss Ruby's home from the day she 
arrived. She worked for the Northern Commercial Company which later 
became Nordstrom. When Nordstrom closed, Miss Ruby went to work for 
Lamont's until her retirement. Retirement, said Miss Ruby, is when life 
begins.
  Miss Ruby lived her life with gusto. She was an impeccable dresser--
always. If something was going on in Fairbanks, Miss Ruby was there 
with a camera. She shot thousands of photographs with visitors and 
locals at events and functions. After the function she would have the 
film processed and send it with a handwritten note card. Those notes 
were signed, ``Southern Ms. Ruby.'' Miss Ruby was involved in the 
Fairbanks community like none other. She attended the local assembly 
meetings, city council meetings, chamber meetings, townhalls and 
military functions. She had a reserved seat in the Fairbanks North Star 
Borough Assembly Chamber and rarely if ever missed a meeting.
  Following Miss Ruby's passing that reserved seat was adorned with a 
simple lavender vase holding pink and white flowers ringed by pieces of 
candy that Miss Ruby would often hand out.
  Ruby Riddle was not an Alaskan by birth but she was surely a 
Fairbanks original, and we miss her greatly.

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