Ruby Griffin Dunbar, a long-ime Islander, died Sept. 18, 2005. She was 85 years old.
Born in Seattle on March 8, 1920, to Robert Louis Griffin and Ora Belle Barney, she spent her childhood in West Seattle.
The family moved to Vashon Island shortly after her graduation from West Seattle High School in 1937. Vashon remained her home for the remainder of her life.
One of the first things Ruby did was to transfer her church membership to the Vashon Presbyterian Church where she eventually encountered Walter Clifford Dunbar. They married the following year.
A major highlight in their marriage was the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1993. More than 300 people attended.
Mrs. Dunbar was a member of the Senior Center, the AARP, and the Vashon Maury Island Heritage Association.
She participated in a local bowling group, led a Girl Scout troop for seven years, and was assistant counselor for social worker Marcia Arthur for more than 15 years.
Mrs. Dunbar and her husband traveled extensively, but always enjoyed returning to their Sylvan Beach home.
Her family says she was religious, and many of her activities centered around her church.
She was a choir member, played for summer church services, taught Sunday School for various ages, and was church photographer.
Music and writing were her main joys. She wrote many articles for The Beachcomber, including the text for the 1983 Island Life.
Mrs. Dunbar received a plaque for writing “I Married a Telephone Man” which was voted “the outstanding text feature article in Pacific Telephone Magazine for 1956, awarded by consensus of contributors and staff.”
The article appeared in telephone magazines throughout the U.S. and one in Canada that was translated into French.
In addition, she and her husband were featured in a large telephone company ad that appeared in newspapers throughout most of the Western states.
She also sold greeting card verse.
She helped establish the first volunteer group for the Vashon nursing home more than 50 years ago, remaining a volunteer for the rest of her life.
For more than 20 years, Mrs. Dunbar, her daughter, Sue Weston, and Al Weston conducted monthly Sunday services for nursing home residents. It was a a shortened regular church service, complete with prelude, call to worship, solo, and sermon.
Even a severe stroke shortly after 9/11 slowed but couldn’t stop Mrs. Dunbar.
After some months of recuperation and adjustment, she resumed playing the piano, presenting monthly 15 minute concerts for the residents of Vashon Community Care Center and members of Break Time, the daytime custodial care group.
Her husband died earlier.
Survivors include a daughter, Sue E. Weston, two grand-daughters, Caran Marie Zambo and Wendy Jo Weston, a great grand-daughter, Iris Dawn Spring, a sister, Mildred Boulton, and a brother, Robert Griffen.
Memorial services for Ruby Griffin Dunbar will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Vashon Presbyterian Church. A church reception will follow.
Memorials may be given to the Vashon Presbyterian Church or the Vashon Presbyterian Organ Fund.
