Ruby Gilbert Baker Hawkins went to be with the Lord on January 15, 2025 at the age of 94. Ruby was born on April 2, 1930 in Paris Kentucky to Justice Carl Baker and Halley Mae Brown.  She was preceded by her husband William Leonard Hawkins Jan 16, 2007 and son David Lane Hawkins Feb 17, 2010. They were very active in the Masonic Lodge and the Arabia Shrine in Houston Texas. Her surviving children, Richard Leonard and William Joseph along with Jamie Alexander will always remember the lessons taught by example. She will also be missed by her 6 grandchildren and 4 Great Grandchildren and many friends that the family has known over the years. As the wife of a 28-year career Marine the family moved an average of every three years.

Many people knew Ruby by her nickname Gail that was given to her by her Husband. The story goes that he preferred it to Gilbert and it didn't take long for everyone to know Bill and Gail as a team. She had a number of purses but the one most people remember showed her pride as a Marine wife. She managed the affairs of the family and kept the kids inline when Dad was deployed overseas in Korea, Viet Nam and Okinawa and later after he lost his battle to Cancer.

They left the rolling farmland of Kentucky behind and served together raising the family at numerous bases. Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, California, Hawaii and then Texas were all home after trading the Marine corps for Nasa managing the supplies needed to keep the operation going.

At one time or another most of the family worked at Johnson Space Center. Ruby took on a project with several others to locate and retag all of the inventory items at the facility. A large amount of time was spent in the Astronaut Office trying to locate expensive cameras and equipment that was swapped between the Astronauts in training. Like a good Mom she was persistent in sorting things out and getting the results she wanted. Throw in a few missing Moon Rocks and you have some great stories. PS, not missing but figured out they were destroyed in testing or in some cases just lots of crumbs that were no longer rocks.

She lived a rewarding life and we will all miss the stories about family members from the past. She was a family researcher that devoted thousands of hours to uncover the family's connection to the past. Like a giant puzzle she was able to sort out the facts with deeds and wills to document the history and setting aside the stories that were faded with time.

She will rejoin her husband for eternity at the Houston National Cemetery on Jan 23, 2025 after a brief memorial service. Her oldest child David, an Airforce Veteran is also interned there.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made in her name to the Shriners Children's Hospital in Galveston.