- Date Of Birth: August 25, 1919
- Date Of Death: May 28, 2012
- State: Illinois
Lloyd Shelton “Rube” Ruby, 92, of North Ft. Myers, FL, died May 28, 2012, at Hope Hospice in Cape Coral, FL.
He was born Aug. 25, 1919, in English, IN, the son of Lloyd Shelton and Grace Everdon Ruby. He married LaDora Ketner on Apr. 11, 1939, in St. Louis, MO, and she preceded him in death in 1982. He then married Mary Eldora Walker Mason on Feb. 12, 1983, in Pekin and she survives.
He is also survived by two sons, Lynn (Rebecca) Ruby of Jacksonville and Jan (Kathy) Ruby of Springfield; a step-daughter, Lisa (Charles) Frost of Winchester; a step-son, Alex (Sherri) Mason of Ft. Myers, FL; three grandchildren, Benjamin of Jacksonville, Lauren of Springfield, and Michael of Chicago; seven step-grandchildren, Erica of Fountain, CO, Markie, Nicole and Jessica, all of Ft. Myers, FL, Shane and Allyson of Winchester, and Jacob of Rome, WI; and eight step great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one step-daughter, Jayne Thomas.
Mr. Ruby was a graduate of Brandenburg (KY) High School, and then Barber College in St. Louis, MO. He worked for Craig Barber & Beauty Shop in Jacksonville until joining the U.S. Army during World War 2. Returning home from the war, he became a Partner in Craig & Ruby Barber & Beauty. In 1949, he bought a barber shop in Chicago, but was then called back into the Army during the Korean Conflict. In 1951, he returned and bought the barber shop in Jacksonville Savings & Loan on the square, remodeling and buying new equipment for it, and opened the first completely new barber shop in Jacksonville in 1951. While still barbering, he joined Wayne Herrin in partnership, and they opened a trailer park on East Morton Ave. They later bought Blue Ridge Trailer Park, and in 1958 built Hillcrest Trailer Park & Sales. Lloyd became the sole owner of the parks and trailer sales in 1961. He retired in 1985, and moved to Ft. Myers, FL.
Mr. Ruby was a member and Past Commander of AMVETS Post 100, Past President of Jacksonville Lions Club, past member of Jacksonville Rotary Club, longtime member of the Ho-Jo Coffee Club and a member of Central Christian Church. He was also a member of Harmony Lodge #3, Ansar Shrine, and Rasa Shrine, and a former board member of Jacksonville Country Club.
