Ruth Marian Casto

Ruth Marian Casto, beloved teacher and aunt, passed away in Newberg, Oregon on April 5th, 2021, of natural causes. She was 91.

Born July 6th, 1929 to missionary parents in what was then known as Tengyueh, China, Ruth spent much of her early years abroad until the family relocated to Milwaukee, Oregon in 1938. After finishing high school a year early, she attended Multnomah School of the Bible, graduating in 1949. During her final year there, she approached the Orinoco River Mission with the intention of going to South America as soon as they would take her. With her acceptance in April of 1950, she began what would be a lifelong dedication to service of her Lord through education, both of herself and others.

During her tenure with the Orinoco River Mission in Venezuela from 1951 to 1983, she served as teacher, librarian, and Principal (temporarily) for Orinoco Academy, and earned her Masters Degree (Education) in 1975. Upon the mission's closure in 1983, she moved to Laguna Hills, California to look after her mother Peggy and began her work with Capistrano Valley Christian Schools as a teacher, administrator and accreditation coordinator until retirement in 1998.

Ruth and her mother moved to Friendsview Retirement Community in Newberg in 1999; after Peggy passed away in 2000, Ruth once more went back to work, using skills accumulated over a lifetime of teaching: evaluating and mentoring student teachers for George Fox University from 2001 to 2006.

Ruth was preceded in death by her father Joseph, mother Marguerite ("Peggy"), sister Edythe (Wass), and brothers Robert and James. She is survived by her nephews Scott, David, and Robert Casto, her niece Julie Casto-Duyck, and their respective families. In her last years, her greatest longing was to "see my family again". We are certain this wish has been granted.

There are many families who felt Ruth's impact over her many years as a teacher, but we would be remiss if we did not mention two in particular: the family of Lizette Chaffee, whose mother Rowena Leep Hughes was a distant cousin to Ruth; and the Tuggys, as Harold and Ray became like family to her in her early years in Venezuela, and their children became students; she often referred to their first child "Dottie" as her "adopted" daughter.

In lieu of flowers, please donate financially or with your time to a cause that brings you joy.