In Loving Memory

Born Virginia Kay Vinson on September 1, 1934 in Portland, Oregon, to small town MD, John Ellsworth Vinson and homemaker, Virginia Pifer Vinson. Died Kay Vinson Ruhland on March 31, 2025 in Oakland, California.

Raised in the small Oregon town of Seaside, Kay graduated from high school in 1952 as her 50-student-strong Class Valedictorian. In 1954 she was chosen to be Miss Seaside for the Miss Oregon (a preliminary to the Miss America) Pageant.

V. Kay Vinson went to Stanford University, then a two-day train ride from Seaside to Palo Alto. While at Stanford majoring in Geography, Kay met Fred Warren Ruhland and they were wed the week after she graduated in December 1956. Kay was a busy, devoted mother to Kurt, Eric, Lisa, and Elizabeth. She was a supportive, wise-cracking mother-in-law to Teri, Joshua, Nanci, and the 20th-Century Karen & Michael. Gramma Kay doted on her grandchildren: Derek, Sean, Alexandra, Jacob, Daniel, Amelia, Benjamin, and Vivien. Starting in 2009, Kay was the contented, proud GG (Great Gramma) to Emera, Penelope, Fiona, Felix, Malcolm, Warren, Cameron, Andrew, and with Sean‘s marriage to Mindy in October 2024, 9-yr-old Ocean.

Kay Ruhland was a Stay-at-Home/ Domestic Engineer Mom until 1978. She then began a work life that culminated in a 16-year career as a Heald Business College Director. Retiring in 1994, Kay began her extensive travels around the Globe. Her highlights were China in 1994, Italy (with Kurt‘s family) in 1999, a trip 'round the World in a 150', 2-masted schooner right after 9/11 in 2001, and Paris (with her adult children and their partners) in 2019.

Our Parisian visit coincided with the hottest day ever recorded in Paris, France - 106° on July 24th. Her last traveling adventure was this past November when at 90, she &Lisa flew to New York City to visit Lisa’s Oakland High School boyfriend, James, who always considered Mrs. Ruhland a life-changing ‘Mom’ in his otherwise chaotic youth.

Kay was fiercely independent and lived on her own in the Oakland hills until her death. She died peacefully in her own bed. Kay’s greatest pleasure once elderly was spending time with and/or sharing photos &texts with her growing family of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The Oakland Symphony and the late Maestro Michael Morgan were very dear to Kay V. Ruhland. Contributions in her name may be made to The Oakland Symphony‘s MUSE program, (MUSic for Excellence) a music education &enrichment program for Oakland Unified School District students. Donations can be made at www.oaklandsymphony.org or by check to: Oakland Symphony MUSE Program, 1440 Broadway, Suite 405, Oakland CA 94612.

There will be a memorial gathering at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland 94611 on Sunday, May 4th, 2025, 11:00a - 1:00p. All are welcome to attend.

Kay will be interred in the Vinson Family plot in aprivate ceremony at Lincoln Memorial Park on May 7,2025, in Portland, Oregon.

Dearest Mom, Rest in Peace.