Ruby Aline Hasley, 86, of Nacogdoches passed away on Monday, June 13th, surrounded by her husband of 65 years, Billy Max Hasley, and her two surviving sons. There will be a visitation Thursday evening from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Laird’s Funeral Home with funeral services the following morning Friday, June 17th at 10:00am with burial to follow at Fairview Cemetery.
Ruby Aline Hasley was born in Cushing, Texas on November 19, 1935, to Walter Lee and Roseana Smelley. She was the fifth of twelve children. Ruby was raised in Cushing and graduated from Cushing High School. At 15 years old, Ruby took a job at Memorial Hospital where she would work her way through the LVN program. She continued to work as she started college at Stephen F. Austin before transferring to University of Texas at Galveston to pursue an RN degree. She often thought about Billy Max who she met in a Stephen F. Austin chemistry class. The couple married on Christmas Eve 1956, and he remained her best friend and constant companion for the next 65 years.
Ruby and Billy Max raised three sons, Stephen, Greg, and Don, or to her “Stevo,” “Grego,” and Donno.” A constant fixture in her children’s education, Ruby was the driving force that saw her children graduate from West Point, The University of Texas, and Texas Tech University, respectively. She served as Parent Teacher Association President for her sons’ schools three different times, founded PTA groups for two other schools at the Superintendent’s request, and served as President of Baytown’s PTA City Council. Her influence in education continued as each of her boys would go on to attain graduate degrees. Ruby was equally proud that all seven of her grandchildren would graduate from prestigious universities.
A religious person, Ruby was a member of the Church of Christ and raised her sons to be members of the church. Throughout the years, she was a member of Mound & Star Church in Nacogdoches, Pruett & Lobit Church in Baytown, O’Connor Road in San Antonio, and finally Stallings Drive Church in Nacogdoches.
Ruby also instilled a recognition of a duty to serve others in each of her sons. For over a decade, Ruby was the driving force for the Goodfellows Program where she raised money, purchased toys, and organized volunteers to deliver Christmas to thousands of less fortunate children in East Harris County Texas. She insisted her boys take part in the service project year after year.
As her boys grew older, Ruby found a calling working for Weight Watchers. This organization allowed Ruby to continue her spirit of service to others as she became a Regional Manager for the San Antonio area. In 1995, Ruby and Billy Max retired to their country home just outside of Nacogdoches. From that date forward, the couple were never apart.
Ruby was preceded in death by her son Stephen. She is survived by her husband Billy Max, her sons Gregory Max (wife Jennifer), and Donald Brian (wife Kim), her daughter-in-law Trecia, grandchildren Matthew Stephen (wife Ashley), Justin Drewry (wife Amanda), Kyle Zachary (wife Becca), Kolton Zane, Hunter Louis, Katherine Grace, and Kacey Donavan, and great-grandchildren Eli Max, Abigail Joy, and Rhett Stephen.
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