Joan Therese Kavanaugh Ruhlin

Joan Therese Kavanaugh Ruhlin, 92, died peacefully on Sunday, July 2 at Houston Hospice. Joan was born September 19, 1930, in Savannah, Georgia, to the late Richard E. Kavanaugh, Sr. and Mary Barry Kavanaugh. Joan will be remembered as a woman who lived her life as a model of peaceful strength, kindness and faith. She made friends easily and was quick to make people laugh. She was often fondly referred to as “St. Joan,” because of her eternal patience. She will be missed dearly by all who knew and loved her. Joan’s family moved to St. Petersburg, FL, when she was a teen. There she attended St. Paul’s Catholic High School (class of 1948), where she met the man who would become her husband of 62 years, William (Bill) Ruhlin. Joan went on to St. Petersburg Junior College and after graduating she was employed by Florida Power. Joan and Bill married in 1953. Thus began their great adventure of raising ten children. Joan devoted her life to raising their children with endless love, grace, and creativity. She embraced the sleepless nights, ER visits, birthday parties, teacher conferences, room mother duties, sports banquets, ball games, swim meets, carpools in station wagons, family vacations, teenage antics, watermelons on beaches, orthodontics, and odd pets - all with unflappable steadfastness. Joan was a devout Catholic and a role model to her family. She was especially proud of the fact that she and Bill were charter members of two Catholic parishes - St. Thomas More in Baton Rouge, and St. John Vianney in Houston. Joan was a member of the choir, a den mother for Cub Scouts and taught CCD for many years. Joan and Bill embarked on countless travels together - with their children in the early years, and later road trips together to visit their children. Joan especially enjoyed her travels to welcome new grandchildren to the world, and brought invaluable support for her children as they became parents. Joan celebrated every birth in the family as though it were the first. The Ruhlins relocated their family many times. They moved with all ten children from Houston to Milan, Italy, in 1974, then to Belgium in 1975. During their expat years in Europe they explored many places and enjoyed new cultural experiences with their children. Over the years they loved telling the stories of their travels. They returned to Baton Rouge in 1979, and stayed there until their final move to Houston in 2007. While in Baton Rouge Joan discovered the joy of being an avid LSU sports fan, which she embraced wholeheartedly. GEAUX TIGERS! Joan was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, William Bradley Ruhlin; parents; infant daughter, Melissa Marie Ruhlin; grandson, Robert Charles Ruhlin; two infant grandsons, Michael and Matthew Decker; and brother Richard E. Kavanaugh, Jr. Joan is survived by her brothers: Barry Kavanaugh of High Point, NC and Kevin Kavanaugh of Bradenton, FL. Her children and children-in-law: David and Evelyn Ruhlin of Corpus Christi, TX; Kathleen and the late Bob Brennan of Pearland, TX; Kristina Decker of Richmond, TX; Bruce and Judy Ruhlin of Cypress, TX; Elizabeth and Tony Hartzell of Fuquay-Varina, NC; Kurt and Amy Ruhlin of Duluth, GA; Michele and Grant Kenion of Easton, PA; Barbara and John Verrett of Baton Rouge, LA; Joseph and Brooke Ruhlin of Eden Prairie, MN; and Eric and Dhenu Ruhlin of Chicago, IL. Her grandchildren: Alicia Gaither, Mary Brennan, Emily Brennan, Kerry Konczak, Brian Decker, Christopher Decker, Stephen Decker, Theresa Decker, Mike Ruhlin, Allison Cline, Jake Hartzell, Claire Ruhlin, Matthew Ruhlin, Gus Kenion, Bridget Kenion, Helen Kenion, William Verrett, Kelly Van Hoof, Colleen Verrett, Samuel Ruhlin, Rachel Ruhlin, Kathleen Ruhlin, Patrick Ruhlin, Jiya Ruhlin, and all their spouses and significant others and 12 great-grandchildren. Visitation: Thursday, July 6, from 6 to 8PM, at Dettling Funeral Home, 14094 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX. Funeral Mass: Friday, July 7, 10:30AM, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, TX. Interment will follow the mass at Memorial Oaks Cemetery, 13001 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at raise.stjude.org/joanruhlin. The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed Friday, July 7, 2023 at 10:30 AM CST at this link: https://youtube.com/live/tvd8O4pmXmg?feature=share

Joan Therese Kavanaugh Ruhlin

September 19, 1930 - July 2, 2023