Gene Ruben

Gene Ruben, also known as Eugene Ruben III, passed away on October 27, 2024 at the age of 59 at Montrose Regional Health in Montrose, Colorado after a sudden illness.

Gene was born in Galveston, Texas on December 24, 1964 to Eugene Ruben Jr. and Betty Ruben, but moved to California at a young age with his siblings. His father and stepfather were both in the Navy, and Gene was raised in military housing. Because of this, he met many interesting people from many different places. He lived all over southern California, but always said he was from Long Beach and Compton.

Gene came from a large family and was the middle child of 6 siblings. He also had many other family members like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and lots of cousins. Later in life, Gene took an interest in learning about his genealogy and where his family came from.

As a child and teenager, Gene could have been considered a troublemaker because of his propensity to get into trouble. His friend Allen said that he used to run away into the canyon near their military housing and Alan said that he and his brother Jeffrey Kevin would have to go look for him. He also remembered that Gene used to get into trouble at home and tested the patience of his mother and siblings. Later on, he got in trouble and ended up moving in with his brother. His experiences shaped how he interacted with people, and with the choice to work with kids and the disabled. Gene graduated from Serra High School and later graduated from the University of Southern California in Bellflower, California with dual degrees in psychology and recreation administration.

His true joy in life was working with kids, which he did for many years at the YMCA. There he accompanied all age groups to various outings in the area. Once some of his students got stuck in the water. He jumped in and stayed with them until they were rescued. It shows what kind of person Gene was. He didn’t want the kids to be scared and alone. After the YMCA, Gene worked as the manager of a 99 bed facility that took care of developmentally disabled adults. He also worked at various psychiatric hospitals for children and adults. He was proud of what he did, and he loved working with people.

Gene’s passion in life was working with children. He had a great rapport with children. They trusted and listened to him. In California, he counseled many kids in psych hospitals, and one even invited him to her graduation. He moved to Colorado in 1998 to help his sister. There, he worked with both developmentally disabled adults in group homes, and with brain injured adults. He loved all the jobs he worked at because he was a kind and caring person, and he was very good at what he did. He always said that he didn’t get into the field because it paid well (because it didn’t), but because it was a labor of love. He didn’t care about the money; he just wanted to make a difference.

In 1999, after moving to Colorado, Gene met his wife Jennifer while working at a group home for developmentally disabled adults. They married in Las Vegas on August 13, 2002 and remained married until his death. They settled in Arvada, Colorado, and later in Montrose, Colorado.

Later in life, Gene was a doting grandpa to 4 grandchildren. Journee was the oldest, followed by Ezra, Odyssee, and Ananias. Gene loved being around his grandchildren, and was especially close to Ezra, to whom he was a father figure.

Gene loved to cook, which he got from his mother. He found it relaxing and cooked almost every day. He was possessive of his kitchen and wouldn’t let anyone in it while he was cooking. He was known to make up his own recipes and rarely follow one. He took care of his In-laws Dorothy and Clyde by cooking for them several times a week. He said that’s what families do, and it was his pleasure to do it.

Gene proudly wore Nike and Jordan clothing and shoes exclusively. He was all about color-coordinating his outfits and wouldn’t leave the house unless he matched from head to toe. He had many outfits and dozens of shoes. He was also proud that he owned a stock in Nike. Despite his love for the brand, he was also known to go to the grocery store in his pajamas. He didn’t care what other people thought about it, as long as he was comfortable.

Gene had two daughters. When Gene was asked what the best moments of his life were, he said it was when his daughters were born. His oldest, Taylor Ruben, was born in 1988, and his youngest, Devan Monique Ruben, was born in 1991. They were the first loves of his life, and he adored them. He took care of them when they were babies, cooking and cleaning for them, giving them baths in the evenings before he went to work the night shift, and taking them on outings, including many outings to Disneyland and various sporting events. His girls were proud to call him their dad. Gene’s daughters adored him. They both remember him as a loving, caring father who taught them how to live a full life. They were blessed to call him their father.

His daughters said Gene was a friend to many and was loved by many. He was a father, husband, son and grandfather. He lived the best life he could with the time he was given and was taken away too soon. He is not here with us but is in our hearts and memories, and with that he will live on. He loved sports, music, food, movies, and of course his Nike wear. In fact, he played football from a very young child all the way through college. His favorite teams were the Cowboys and the Lakers, and he followed them religiously.

He always made people laugh and was very persuasive. He could talk anyone into anything. He taught those around him to love, and family was everything to him. He was blessed with good friends and family. His family is truly heartbroken that he is gone but valued their time with him throughout his life.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents and his grandparents. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Ruben of Montrose, Colorado, his daughter Taylor Ruben from Fresno, California, and two granddaughters, Journee and Odyssee; and Devan Woods from Colorado Springs, and his two grandsons Ezra and Ananias. He was also survived by his 6 sisters and brothers: Beverly Allen of Aurora, Colorado; David Ruben, Jeffrey Ruben, and Brenda Ruben, all of Texas; Earl.