Obituary of Elizabeth Ann Rible

Elizabeth Ann Rible, 77, passed away at home from Parkinson’s Disease. She was born in the San Fernando Valley on V-J Day to Roy and Millie Pratt. She grew up riding horses on her family’s ranch, recalling many fond memories of training actors and horses for the nearby film studios and enjoying the beauty of her bucolic surroundings. “Betsi” had a vivacious youth, graduating from James Monroe High School and living life to the fullest in the vibrant Los Angeles of the 1960s, working, modeling, and savoring all the adventures of a remarkable era. Having grown disenchanted with the excess of her environment and embracing her rebellious side, she made a radical departure to live in Communist Czechoslovakia where she developed a deepened political consciousness and joy in old world family traditions and way of life. Upon her return to the US, she studied journalism and earned a BA in Russian Studies at UC Riverside, utilizing her extensive traveling experience, language abilities, and warm and welcoming personality to help integrate international university students into the community. Devoted to her church community and spiritual life, she met her husband. Rev. Robert Rible, while working on a church project providing services for immigrants seeking aid after the Vietnam War. They married in 1978 and moved to Santa Cruz, where Elizabeth worked in community relations at Dominican Hospital. She and Bob fostered three children, adopting their son Michael. She was executive director of Grey Bears until her daughter Irene was born. Elizabeth discovered her passion for teaching working with severely handicapped elementary school students as a special education teacher, earning teaching credentials at San Jose State. She brought her highly sensitive nature and compassionate, loving presence to her students and team and had a gift for connecting to her students on a nonverbal, intuitive level, sparking joy and inspiration even in the midst of great challenges. In her classroom she shared her many talents for performing arts, music, and creativity to the delight of her students. For more than 30 years, she was an active contributor to Calvary Episcopal Church, where her husband was assistant priest. Elizabeth is remembered by her friends for her love and loyalty, her biting wit, infectious laughter and sparkle, and is beloved by her children for her depth of feeling, curious mind and imagination, philosophy of life, and loving with her whole heart. Elizabeth’s survivors include her husband Bob, daughter Irene, son Michael and daughter-in-law Andrea, grandsons Jonas and Noah, extended family and many friends. A memorial service will be held at Calvary Episcopal Church, 532 Center St. in Santa Cruz on Saturday, March 25th at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Calvary Episcopal Church in Elizabeth’s memory.