Ruby Hill

In Loving Memory of Ruby Hill

January 29, 1935 – September 24, 2025

On September 24, 2025, Ruby Hill peacefully went home to be with the Lord. She was born on January 29, 1935, in Washington, D.C., to the late James Henry Braxton and Cecilia Ford. Ruby was the youngest daughter of eleven children and grew up surrounded by the love and laughter of a big, close-knit family.

Ruby graduated from Martha Washington High School in 1952. A year earlier, in 1951, Ruby met the love of her life, Eugene Hill Jr., through her friendship with his sister. That friendship blossomed into a lifelong love story. In 1955, they married, and for the next 70 years, Ruby and Eugene shared an unshakable bond filled with love, faith, and family.

In 1964, Ruby and Eugene settled in Oxnard, California, where they raised their family of five. Ruby’s home was always open to everyone—family, friends, and even strangers—offering a warm meal, a kind word, and a heart full of love.

In 1994, Ruby became a devoted member of Living Gospel Church of Oxnard, where she was known for her sweet spirit, caring heart, and her famous “candy bags” that delighted young and old alike. Her faith and generosity touched everyone she met.

Ruby’s love of cooking shaped much of her life. She worked as a cook at Naval Base Point Mugu and Naval Base Port Hueneme, as well as for several private schools. She also managed the kitchen at K-Mart—back in the days when families could sit down and share a meal right there in the store.

Outside of work, Ruby found joy in the simple pleasures of life. She loved to cook for her family and friends, watch western movies, and go “galivanting” around Oxnard and Ventura for a little shopping and fun. She especially loved sharing stories about her parents and siblings, keeping her family’s history alive for future generations. If you weren’t family, Ruby had a way of making you feel like you were.

Ruby was preceded in death by her beloved daughter Patricia Ruby Hill, her son Eugene Hill III (“Bunkie”), and her grandsons Michael Eugene Hill and James Maurice Hill Jr.

She leaves behind a legacy of love in her devoted husband of 70 years, Eugene Hill Jr. of Oxnard; her loving children Barbara Jean Gaines (“BJ”) of San Diego, James Maurice Hill Sr. of New York, and Joseph Deon Hill of Oxnard; along with a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, the Penny family, and countless friends whose lives she touched with her kindness and warmth.

Ruby’s life was a testament to the power of love, faith, and family. She had a special way of making everyone feel welcomed and cherished. Her gentle spirit and radiant smile will be dearly missed but forever remembered.

We will forever love you, RU, Mom, Grandma-Grandma, Grandma Hill, and Mama Hill.