Mary Ruth Clay's Obituary
Mary Ruth Clay, of Wimberley, Texas, beloved wife, mother, nana and friend, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 28, 2021. She was 79 years old.
Ruth was born Mary Ruth Mostiller on November 6, 1941, in Birmingham, Alabama to Rev. John and Elise (Rowe) Mostiller. The oldest of four children, Ruth grew up in north Alabama, with stops in several small towns as her father’s pastoral ministries led. One such stop was in Albertville, AL where she met and married Vernon Clay in 1963, together having two boys, David in 1964 and Brian in 1967, maintaining their home in the north Alabama area until 1978, before relocating the family to Dallas, TX.
After relocating to Dallas, Ruth began a long career in banking, beginning with First City Bank in Farmers Branch. After making a handful of stops along a 30+ year journey, and earning numerous performance awards along the way, Ruth finished her banking career at Bank of America. After initially enjoying retirement in the Dallas area, while Vernon worked for a few more years, Ruth and Vernon ultimately followed their son and daughter-in law, David and Tracy Clay, who had re-settled in the Wimberley area near Austin. There they were able to enjoy the Texas Hill Country lifestyle during their final years.
Ruth was an avid book reader, a lover of puzzles and other thinking games, and an aficionado of old country music. A caring soul, Ruth was compassionate to those around her and always had the well-being of her family and friends in her heart. She was a faithful wife, a caring mother, a doting grandmother, and a loyal friend. She will be terribly missed by all who knew her.
Ruth is survived by her son and daughter-in-law David and Tracy Clay, grandchildren Sydney and Hayden Clay, and brothers Malcolm (Marguerite), Lamar (Terri) and Mark Mostiller. She is preceded in death by her parents Rev. John and Elise Mostiller, husband Vernon Clay, and son Brian Clay.
The family will be having a private graveside service at Restland Cemetery in Dallas. In lieu of flowers, tribute donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (https://www.cff.org) would be greatly appreciated.
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