Ruth Marie Lewis

Ruth Marie Lewis passed away peacefully on December 4, 2024 in Cortez, Colorado in the company of her family and her pastor after a long battle with frontal temporal lobe dementia. She was 67 years old. A funeral service will be held Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cortez, Colorado. Followed by a graveside service immediately thereafter at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Mancos, Colorado.

Ruth was born on November 7, 1957 in Durango, Colorado to Raymond and Wilma “B” Lewis. The family remained in Durango area until 1967, when they moved to Price, Utah. Ruth attended school there, where she became very involved in Girl Scouts, and worked as a volunteer assistant to a veterinarian. This experience further increased her love of animals and her desire to help them.

After graduating from Grand Junction High School in Grand Junction, Colorado in 1976, Ruth attended Fort Lewis College for two years, transferred to and graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology in 1980.

As a wild life biologist, Ruth garnered many awards and acclamations for her work with and on behalf of fish and wildlife during her 30 year career. She was a trailblazer for women in law enforcement in her position as a District Wildlife Manager, aka “Game Warden” with the Colorado Division of Wildlife from 1984 until the early 1990’s. As one of only two women in her class, Ruth earned the coveted job by graduating at the top of her class from the Denver Wildlife Officer Academy in 1984. What a shock it was for many a poacher or other law breaker to find him/herself getting a ticket from a petite 5 foot 2 inch blond haired, blue eyed, no-nonsense female game warden…with freckles! After her stint as a “game and fish cop”, Ruth expanded her career with the DOW and served as a Wildlife Habitat Biologist until 1995.

In 1995 Ruth married the love her life, Robert “Bob” Bright. They promptly moved to Alaska, where they enjoyed all the gifts the state had to offer. Including fishing, hunting, berry picking and other outdoor activities provided by the ocean, rivers and mountains alike. During this time their son Luke was born, and Ruth became a very proud and devoted Mother.

Ruth’s husband’s talents as a city planner led them to Fargo, North Dakota, where Ruth achieved her dream of a graduate degree by earning an M.S. in Natural Resource Management from North Dakota State University in 2008. In 2009, the family moved to Del Norte, Colorado, where Ruth put her accumulated years’ experience and knowledge to extraordinary uses as a Wildlife Habitat Biologist for a federal agency, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, in Alamosa. In this position she achieved a great success with her passion for the well-being of wildlife combined with her common-sense approach working with local ranchers and farmers to develop much needed habitat for wildlife, water fowl, and birds of all kinds. In a profession that can often lead to contentious relations with landowners, Ruth had an extraordinarily positive working relationship with both colleagues and landowners alike. The wildlife of San Luis Valley has much to thank her for. Ruth remained in this position until 2017 when the insidious onset of dementia at an early age forced her to retire.

Ruth Lewis is survived by her husband, Bob Bright, her son Luke Bright; brothers Guy and Mark Lewis, sister Leslie Lewis and by many nephews and nieces. To say that she was adored by these many nieces and nephews is a gross understatement. Wherever Ruth went, she was sure to make friends of all the stray animals, all the stray kids, and all the people who knew her. As a devout Christian, she was active in the Lutheran Church in every town where the family lived. As a mother, she was devoted and determined parent, instrumental as an advocate for children’s services, inclusive education, and equal opportunities. She continued her childhood affiliation with the Girl Scouts and supported their son Luke in many activities such as Boy Scouts, Junior Civil Air Patrol, volunteer activities and numerous athletic endeavors. As a close and loving family, they played together, worked together and prayed together.

As a loving and devoted wife, Ruth exemplified Proverbs 12: verse 4, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband.” and Proverbs 31: verses 10-12, “A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than rubies. Her husband trusts her without reserve and never has a reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long.”

Ruth, we love you dearly and will miss you so much. But we know that you are in your heavenly home and that someday, we too shall be there with you and all believers, because of the promise given by God to all who believe in his son Jesus Christ as their savior.