Charles Edward Ruth

Charles Edward “Chuck” Ruth, age 95, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2026, at Loving Care Adult Foster Home in North Bend, Oregon.

Born on December 30, 1930, in Martinez, California, Chuck was the only child of Ralph C. Ruth and Mabel S. (Kernutt) Ruth. The family moved to Eugene, Oregon, when he was five. He graduated from University High School in 1948 and later served two years in the United States Army as a cryptographer, stationed in Frankfurt, Germany.

Chuck began working in the grocery business at age 15 as a boxboy in Eugene. In 1959 he joined McKay’s Markets, then a small two-store operation, and remained with the company until his retirement in 1989. He played a key role in guiding McKay’s through decades of growth, helping it become a major regional chain with 34 stores across western Oregon and Northern California.

An avid hunter, fisherman, and hiker, Chuck loved sharing his passion for the outdoors with his family. He was also an enthusiastic gardener who maintained a large vegetable garden, built a solar-heated greenhouse onto the family home, and converted surrounding fields into a rhododendron nursery. For many years, the rhododendrons sold in McKay’s stores were grown and supplied by Chuck.

He was preceded in death by his son, Thomas Ruth. Chuck is survived by his wife, Patty Ruth of Coos Bay; his daughter, Barbara (Ruth) Young and her husband Tim Young of Coos Bay; grandchildren Michael Ruth and Sasha of Medford, Brian Ruth and Miranda Thompson of Eagle Point, Aaron Young and Evelyn of Bend, Corey Young and Gretchen of Grants Pass, Stephanie (Young) Merritt and Tyson of Coos Bay, and David Young and Danielle of Coos Bay; and ten great-grandchildren, Sydney, Maggie, Natasha, Hanna, Ayzli, Jason, Vienna, Ryan, Carson, and Ellie.