Larkspur Conservation – Nashville, Tennessee

Obituary

Ruby Luckey Fielden, born 7/27/1924 in Trenton TN to Vera Lou Kirk Green and Fred Albert Green, died on 9/24/18 at age 94. Joanne, her beloved younger sister, was born ten years later, and Ruby loved Joanne dearly, but she did not like having to take Joanne with her on her high school dates! 

Ruby had fond memories of her friends in Trenton and stayed in touch with the last surviving classmates of Peabody High School (Heber, Lindell, and Carlos) until her death. She married Robert Hugh Luckey, Jr., of Humboldt TN in 1943, and they moved to Oak Ridge where Bob worked at K25 in the power plant during and after World War II (later Bob also worked at the Kingston TVA steam plant). Ruby worked in the offices of Oak Ridge High School and Jefferson Jr High, where she greeted people with her beautiful smile. Ruby and Bob had one daughter, Lynne. Bob died in 1991 and she grieved his death. Later on, Ruby had fun on travels with friends, especially Wanda Grey Semesch. Surprisingly, Ruby took up line dancing and even bought dancing shoes (that she later bequeathed to her friend Pat Green). In 1997, friends Dot and Don Pierce introduced Ruby to their friend, widower Gordon Fielden. Ruby and Gordon married in 1997 and had a very happy life together until his death in 2007. She was a cheerleader for Lynne and for granddaughter, Ebie, and was very proud of Ebie's accomplishments. She loved Lynne's spouse Newell and Ebie's spouse JonPaul dearly. 

Ruby had been born into a poor family, and like a lot of people of her generation, her life was one of some upward mobility—eventual degrees from Roane State Community College and UT-Knoxville (in her 50s!), community engagement (she was the first woman mayor of Kingston), and reasonable financial security in later life—but she never lost the Democratic Party heart for those in poverty and those who were excluded. 

A lifelong Baptist, she managed life's fears with a combination of humor and faith, accepted losses with a realistic attitude, and pursued spiritual development to the end. In her last days, she stated as a matter of fact, "I love everybody." 

Ruby was predeceased by her parents, by her sister Joanne, and spouses Robert Hugh and Gordon. She leaves daughter Lynne McFarland (Newell S. Anderson), granddaughter Ebie McFarland (JonPaul Bruno), niece Kathy Roberson (Jackie), nephews Pat Foster (Lara) and Phillip Foster (Ginger), cousin Larry Green (George), former brother-in-law Bob Foster (Irene), and nephew Billy Draper (Sherry). She was grateful for the friendship and support of many people, especially Meghann, Natalie, John, Newell Anatole, Tasha, Parrish, Gryf, Deanna, Lenore, Pat, Christine, Ivery, Yvonne, Christy, Nell, Connie, Betty, Donita, and Betty and James Carter. Her physician, Dr. James Powers, and the Alive Hospice team were wonderful helpers to her. Thank you. 

Ruby will have a natural/green burial at Taylor Hollow, a site developed by Larkspur with the Nature Conservancy. A memorial service officiated by her Woodmont Baptist pastor, Rev. Nathan Parker, will be held in several weeks. Memorial gifts may be made to Woodmont Baptist Church, 2100 Hillsboro Avenue, Nashville TN 37215.