Ruth Luke

April 8, 1949 - March 10, 2019

Ruth Ann Black Luke returned to our Heavenly Father on Sunday, March 10, 2019. She was 69 years old. Ruth was born in Arlington, Virginia, on April 8, 1949. She grew up in McLean, Virginia. She attended the University of Arizona in Tucson while living with her sister, Bonnie. She then served an 18-month mission in the Argentina North Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She returned to Tucson and met her love, David, in February of 1972. They were engaged in May and married in August in the Mesa Arizona Temple. The couple and their family have lived in Tucson Arizona, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Utah. Ruth’s many jobs allowed her to show off her organizational skills, including as a secretary for Prudential Securities, the executive secretary for philanthropist, Mr. Atkinson, as well as the office administrator at the Detention Officer Training Center for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office. She loved her family fiercely and spent many family gatherings playing cards and other games. Ruth was often found reading or cheering on her Washington Redskins and Oklahoma Sooners (football) and the OKC Thunder (basketball) teams. She served her community through such things as the PTO president for her children’s elementary school, as chairwoman of the City of Choctaw Founders Celebration Day Committee and as mayor of Choctaw, OK, for 8 years. She served within her church through various callings, including Cub Scout leader, Young Women president, Sunday School teacher, Stake Relief Society President, and Primary teacher. She served for 2 ½ years in the Oklahoma Oklahoma City Mission and at the time of her death she was serving her 3rd year as a BYU Worldwide Pathway Connect missionary. Ruth was loved by many. She wanted others to feel welcome and always looked for someone she didn’t know or someone sitting alone and often introduced them to others as her “sister” or “daughter” - everyone became family to her. Ruth touched so many lives for good. She joined her parents, Maxwell Frank and Goldie Booke Black, her brother, Maxwell Frank “Frankie” Black Jr., her sister, Cleopatra McNamee, nephew, Scott McNamee, and 4 angel-baby grandchildren, in heaven. She is survived by her husband, David Melvin Luke, Annette (Joel), Michael (Nicole), Brent, Stephanie, Matthew, and Emily (Stephen) and grandchildren Lauren, Kayley, Evan, Spencer, Luke, Evelyn, Gavin, Garrett, Keeli, Jaxson and Maxwell, her sister Bonita Edwards and her brother, Rick Black. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, March 16th, at 11:00 am, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse, 353 East 400 North, Spanish Fork, Utah where a Visitation will be held prior to services from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Interment in Spanish Fork City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity in Ruth’s honor or do an act of service for others in need. Our wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Ruth, will be remembered for many things, but we know the one that will stand out in our minds and hearts forever will be her favorite phrase - "Love you more" - and she did.