Everardo Ruiz

Everardo Rodríguez Ruiz, age 83, passed away peacefully on March 8th, 2018.

Everardo was born in 1934 in Guanajuato, México, to Everardo Ruiz Ocampo and Maria Victoria Rodríguez Santibañez; he was later joined by his younger sister, Carmen. As a child, Everardo enjoyed playing baseball, rowing and swimming, as well as helping his parents in the family business. Everardo resided in Guanajuato until he moved to Mexico City to pursue his studies in electronic & electrical engineering at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).  During his college years, he spent his leisure time traveling, exploring archaeological ruins and playing basketball, known for his ball-handling finesse and his famous hook shot as the starting center on his team.

Later, Everardo was granted a full scholarship to Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he completed his MBA.  He also was an active member of the Sierra Club, enjoying hiking and biking both the hills of SF/Berkeley and the California coast. In fact, Everardo rode the same bicycle in Davis (for over 35 years) that he rode when he attended graduate school in Palo Alto.

He then embarked on his career which spanned both private and public sectors and which blended his love of engineering and finance. His most fulfilling role was when he worked for Transamerica, during which time he led the financial investment efforts bridging urban development with Guadalajara, MX.  He later moved to public sector so that he would travel less often for work and be home more. Everardo never spoke of his many accomplishments.

In 2017, he was recognized by the State of California for his 50 years of commitment to the engineering profession.

What mattered most to Everardo, however, was his family. He met the love of his life, Kathi, an American educator, in Guanajuato, where she was teaching a pre-Colombian art summer session to a high school group from St. Louis. Everardo was home visiting his family. They then met at a fiesta hosted by mutual friends, when Everardo simply asked: ¿Quisieras bailar conmigo? ….and the rest was history.  Everardo and Kathi were later married in St. Louis then settled in the S.F. Bay Area, where the following year they welcomed fraternal twins, Everardo D. (E.D.) and Mary. In 1977, they moved to Davis as they fell in love with the small, university-centered town just like Guanajuato.

Everardo was a man of principle, who valued integrity, humility and unconditional love. His commitment to family was best modeled through sharing daily family dinners and the hallmark family meetings. His pastimes including playing basketball at Davis Athletic Club, swimming laps, bantering about math and economics with his kids, spending time with his grandchildren, and trips with his cherished wife of 50.638 years to Huatulco, MX.

Everardo is preceded in death by his mother, father and sister. He is survived by his wife, Kathi Ruiz, his son, Everardo D. Ruiz (Jonalyn) of Bellevue, WA; his daughter, Mary V. Ruiz (Pam) of Davis; and five  grandchildren – Tatiana, Avery, Mason, Molly and Jacob.

Those who wish to sign a guestbook online may do so at: www.smith-funerals.com as there will not be a public service.

Everardo’s family would like to give special thanks to the medical teams at Sutter Davis Hospital and South Sacramento Kaiser Permanente for their diligence, personal interest and kindness throughout Everardo’s time there.