Ruby Kuritsubo's Obituary
Ruby Kuritsubo 9/13/1932 – 2/3/2026
Ruby Kuritsubo was the sixth of nine children born to Yoshio and Muraye Ando of San Jose, California. Except for the family’s war relocation years in Colorado, Ruby spent her childhood on the family farm in San Jose.
Ruby graduated in 1958 from U.C. Berkeley in Public Health and spent most of her career at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland as a medical technologist. In 1959, Ruby married Kiyoshi (Kibo) Kuritsubo whom she met during college. Ruby and Kibo had two daughters, Amy and Janis. In 1968, Kibo took an assignment in Japan with the Defense Department and the family moved to Yokohama. During her Japan years, Ruby studied classical Japanese dance (Nihon Buyo) which had been an interest of hers from her youth.
Upon returning from Japan in 1972, the family settled in Castro Valley where Ruby resided for the next 50 years. Ruby returned to work at Kaiser and contributed to several research projects and medical publications. At the time of her death, Ruby was part of the U.C. Davis and Kaiser “Life After 90” research program and donated her brain to science.
After retirement, Ruby travelled around the world with her siblings and took family trips with her daughters and grandchildren. Ruby was an active member of the Oakland Buddhist Church and JACL Eden Township Senior Center. Ruby was an avid gardener and had a green thumb that could grow anything.
Ruby moved back to San Jose in 2024 to be closer to her remaining siblings and large extended family. In 2025 Ruby became a great-grandmother to Daphne Ruby. Ruby’s two delights in her last year was baby Daphne and ice cream.
Ruby passed away on February 3, 2026 surrounded by family at her care home in Campbell, California at the age of 93. The family is grateful she was able to have one last Christmas in her Castro Valley home in December 2025.
Ruby is preceded in death by her husband Kiyoshi; her parents and six of her siblings.
Ruby is survived by her daughters Amy (Gary) and Janis; grandchildren Jamie (Chris) and Sean; great-granddaughter, Daphne Ruby; brother Lloyd (Elaine); sister Lillian (Jim) and many nieces, nephews and relatives.
Ruby’s Memorial Service will be held at the Oakland Buddhist Church on Saturday, May 30 at 1 pm. In lieu of koden or flowers the family requests a donation of your choice to the Oakland Buddhist Church or JACL Eden Township Senior Center.
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