Ruth Riviera Engle

Ruth Riviera Engle

Ruth Riviera Engle, née Ruth Virginia Staats, died on October 11, 2020 at Covenant Living at the Shores on Mercer Island, Washington at the age of 94. She is survived by her son Daniel Charles Riviera and his wife Katherine; daughter Sara Riviera Cureton, son-in-law Kevin, and grandsons Sean and James; and family members Tyler Engle, Rayne Engle, and Rayne’s husband Bob Crumbley and their two children Joe and Kate.

Mrs. Engle was born in Seattle on June 2, 1926. She grew up in West Seattle and had many fond memories of childhood summers spent on Vashon Island. A graduate of West Seattle High School, she earned a B.A. from Whitman College, and an M.A. in counseling from Syracuse University. After receiving her M.A., she served as assistant dean of women at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. She met her first husband, Daniel John Riviera, at Syracuse. They married and settled on Mercer Island. The marriage produced three children: Daniel Charles, Sara Jane, and Jeffrey John. Following her divorce from Mr. Riviera, Mrs. Engle pursued her career in counseling, spending many years providing therapy at the Schick-Shadel Treatment Centers in Seattle. Her 1996 marriage to Duane “Bud” Engle brought her great happiness. Mr. and Mrs. Engle moved to Covenant Shores (now Covenant Living at the Shores) in 2002, enjoying an active life together there until Mr. Engle’s death in 2014.

Throughout her life Mrs. Engle passionately loved her family, her church, and her hometown of Seattle. She was a devoted parishioner at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Mercer Island, where she volunteered for various ministries over the years and was a proud recipient of the Emmanuel Cross. A memorial service for Mrs. Engle is planned for the spring of 2021 at Emmanuel, where she will be interred with Mr. Engle, her beloved sister Jane Carol Staats, and her son Jeffrey John Riviera. Donations in her memory may be made to Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Mercer Island or Bright Focus Foundation: Macular Degeneration Research.