Marty and I met in college, a school in western Illinois small enough that you would recognize most people, but Everybody knew Marty. I would see this outgoing, charming guy hanging out at my sorority house almost every day, just wanting to talk with someone while he waited for Jane, the girl who lived next door to me, came downstairs to see him. He was also the bartender at the college hangout, Walt’s Office, until he turned that job over to Mike Kelly, which worked out well for me!
Marty did have the talent of remembering everyone and making them feel like a special friend, as many of you have said.
After college he moved to Florida and then to CA. In the 70’s Mike and I also moved to CA, knowing not a soul. One weekend we said hey, let’s go to the Crosby! Never having seen the ocean or been anywhere with celebrities, we were wide eyed. Then, as we were walking up the 18th hole, we heard a familiar voice and saw that familiar face…Marty. From then on we saw each other often and treated each other as family. Our girls called him Uncle Marty and Lauren, their beautiful daughter, knew my husband as Uncle Mike.
Many wonderful events took place over our 50+ year friendship, not the least of which was knowing and loving Mary and seeing that they were meant to spend their lives together.
In my last phone call with Marty we were finding it remarkable that it had been 20 years since our Millenium trip to Ireland. And there were so many more memorable good times. Then he said, you know, it makes it a little easier going through this now to know I left nothing on the table. Let those words be a lesson to us all..
LEAVE NOTHING ON THE TABLE!
Marty Ruberry: A Celebration of Life 