Librarian who went “beyond the call of duty” for patrons.
Ruth Holley’s life was an open book.
Ruth was born in Dallas, Texas on June 4, 1916 to Simon and Alice Roberta (Slaughter) Hill. The family moved to Denver, Colorado when Ruth was a young girl. She was married to John S. Holley on August 12, 1943. Ruth and John relocated from Portland, Oregon to Colorado Springs in 1967 where Ruth would become a librarian with the Pikes Peak Library District, retiring in 1983.
It was easy for those around her to see how she cared about the patrons of East Library, where she worked for 10 years until her retirement in 1983. As head of the East Library, Ruth won many friends for the library and herself. A lover of books and an avid reader, she enjoyed helping others find the types of books they most enjoyed.
In addition to her dedicated public service as a librarian, Ruth was active in the Colorado Springs community with the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Negro Historical Association, the National Association for Advancement of Colored People, the Friends of the Library and Friends of the Pioneer Museum.
Upon her death, Ruth was survived by her husband John and two children. She is buried with John in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver. John was an Army veteran of WWII. He died in 1993. A library branch was dedicated in her honor, currently located at 685 N. Murray Blvd
Ruth's obituary appeared in the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, July 22, 1986, page B-2