Ruth Ann Haley

In Loving Memory

Ruth Ann Haley

July 15, 1957 ❧ June 4, 2026

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“She is clothed with strength and dignity,

and she laughs without fear of the future.”

— Proverbs 31:25

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Ruth Ann Haley was born on July 15, 1957, in Jacksonville, Illinois, the youngest of four children born to Helen Marie Hayes and James Delbert Hayes. From her earliest days, Ruth was surrounded by love — a foundation that would shape the warmth and generosity she carried throughout her entire life.

She grew up alongside her brothers James and Bob, and her sister Virginia, all of whom preceded her in death. She attended and graduated from Routt High School in Jacksonville, where the roots of her strong character and tireless work ethic took hold.

On January 31, 1976, Ruth united her life with the love of her life, Billy Dean Haley. Theirs was a love story that endured every season — a true and lasting partnership that reached a beautiful milestone this very year as they celebrated fifty years of marriage together. It was a testament to their faithfulness, devotion, and the life they built side by side.

Ruth’s greatest joy was her family. She was the proud and deeply loving mother of three daughters: Helen Elizabeth Pagán and her husband June, Monica Ann Writz and her husband Daniel Jay, and Allison Pauline Haley and her fiancé Michael Shanks. Her heart expanded further still with the arrival of her beloved grandchildren — Haley Pagán and her husband Joseph; Alexander Pagán and his girlfriend Selena Maurer; Alexis Pagán and her fiancé Daniel Podwirny; and Preston, Eve, Gabriella, Rebecca, Jacob, Naomi Writz, and Kayden Shanks — each one a treasure she held dearly.

Above all else, Ruth loved God. Her faith in Jesus Christ was not merely a belief she held — it was the very heartbeat of who she was. She lived her faith out loud, with open hands and an open door. For years she poured herself into local food ministries, quietly and steadfastly serving those in need, embodying the grace and compassion she so deeply believed in. She never sought recognition; she simply served, because serving was her calling.

Ruth was a woman of extraordinary dedication. For over forty years she gave herself fully to a career in retail management, earning the respect of all who worked alongside her. She was not one to do anything halfway — whether at work, at home, or in her community, she brought her whole self, every single time.

She had a deep and joyful love for her country, and the Fourth of July held a special place in her heart — her favorite holiday, celebrated with the same enthusiasm and patriotic spirit she brought to everything she loved. Her home was also filled with a quiet, whimsical collection of teddy bears, each one a small reminder of the gentleness that lived beneath her determined and capable exterior.

Ruth Ann Haley leaves behind a legacy not written in monuments, but in the lives she touched — the hungry she fed, the hands she held, the family she raised, and the God she served faithfully until her last breath. She was loved beyond measure, and she will be missed every single day.

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She Is Survived By

Her beloved husband of 50 years, Billy Dean Haley

Her daughters and their husbands: Helen Elizabeth and June Pagán; Monica Ann and Daniel Jay Writz; and Allison Pauline Haley and her fiancé Michael Shanks

Her grandchildren: Haley Pagán and husband Joseph; Alexander Pagán and girlfriend Selena Maurer;

Alexis Pagán and fiancé Daniel Podwirny; Preston, Eve, Gabriella, Rebecca, Jacob, Naomi Writz, and Kayden Shanks

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“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.”

— 2 Timothy 4:7

SERVICES ENTRUSTED TO PEAKS & WATERS MEMORIAL FUNERAL CARE.