Ruth Ormondroyd lived in the Ananda world for over 24 years serving at Ananda Portland, Ananda Village and the Meditation Retreat. She was a deep devotee and a hard worker; had seemingly endless energy which she displayed in the gardens she transformed, in being a support person in the community Sangha offices and in her participation in programs that brought her closer to her guru. She brought beauty into this world through her gardening, office and maintenance skills and in her sweet interactions with everyone she met.
Ruth was born in 1929 of German descent, and grew up in Carol, Iowa in a farming family.
Her father was killed in a terrible accident involving farm equipment when she was just 12 years old. This was extremely traumatic for Ruth as she was much closer to him than to her mother who was very strict, not offering love in the way Ruth could understand.
Ruth loved classical music and excelled as a musician. She played the violin so well, she joined her local orchestra. (Later in 2000, she took her violin with her when she joined Swami Kriyananda and the Oratorio choir on tour in Italy in 2000.)
Ruth loved to exercise and keep fit. In her working life she swam every day on her lunch break and went out for evening runs even at 80 years old.
Ruth and son Evan at Halloween at Ananda House in Portland
Many years before coming to Ananda she had lived in Berkeley, California, where she married Edward Ormondroyd who was a well-known children’s author. They had 3 lovely children: Evan, Astor and Beth.
In her late 60’s Ruth trekked the Himalayan mountains and, for a year, lived in Brazil, traveling, hiking and learning about other cultures, which fascinated her.
During her working career, Ruth at one time worked at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator) as a secretary. Sometime after she and her husband divorced, she moved back to Iowa and spent time refurbishing and then selling houses and antiques. When she felt her time there was done, she moved back to California.
Coming to Ananda
Ruth first came to Ananda in 1997 through The Expanding Light retreat center. Soon afterwards though, to be closer to one of her daughters, she moved to Portland, OR where another of Ananda communities was offering the spiritual teachings of her newly-founded guru, Yogananda. She joined hundreds of other thirsty souls like herself, who were searching for the true meaning of life.
While in Portland, because she was retired, Ruth single handedly took care of all the community’s gardens. Every day, morning, noon, night, you could find her out weeding, pruning and tending to the flowers and plants she loved.
She also served her community in a number of other ways as well: singing in the choir, ministering through her interactions with guests, and sending out the monthly Ananda Portland newsletters.
In 2001 Ruth moved to the Meditation Retreat and was head of housekeeping until she moved to the Village in 2006. She was also instrumental in helping the head gardener, Charles, clear the land for the forest gardens to come by using her chainsaw and other heavier equipment single handedly!
Charles Evans
Charles: “Ruth went about her work quietly but if something needed to be said, she would work with the college students there at that time as a mother would her children: lovingly but sternly.”
Ruth and Charles Evans were great soul friends of many lives. In 2006 They took a 6 month pilgrimage to Italy and India. Here are some of the highlights.
Italy: Glorious month in Assisi visiting Ananda friends in the center there and having a three week seclusion as well. In addition to also serving in the kitchen and gardens, we rented a motor scooter to get around, and meditated in the many shrines and cathedrals. “It was especially inspiring meditating in the places where St. Francis lived and taught. We both felt a jolt of electricity coarse through our bodies as we relived his life within us.”
India: After two glorious months in Italy, India called us to be with other saintly souls both present and past: Ammachi, Anandamoyee Ma, Ramana Maharshi’s ashram where we took a strenuous hike up the Aranchala mountain to the caves where he lived and meditated for 20 years at a time; Sai Baba’s ashram when 20,000 other devotees had gathered to celebrate his birthday and of course to Ananda’s spiritual centers where Yogananda and his gurus lived and taught.
One highlight was in the Kali Dakineshwar temple of Ramakrishna ‘s. meditating where our guru had his vision of Kali, we too felt tremendous blessings there.
They took what they called the “chicken bus” throughout the south – took a jeep safari ride through the jungles, tea and spice plantations, were charged by a wild elephant; lost each other in Madauri; traveled to Jaipur, Pushcar , Kolkata, Varanasi and Rishikesh, and then spent some time in Goa to regroup and recharge in the beautiful ocean airs. And finally spent the last 10 days at the Ananda Ashram in Gurgaon, outside Delhi. It was a trip of a lifetime.”
It was on the return to Ananda that Ruth decided to move to the Village proper.
Ruth's Beautiful Qualities
Ruth was a generous donor, helping others whenever she could do so. When the idea of demonstrating at the SRF Convocation that year was presented to the community, Ruth gave Parvati and Pranaba a $1,000 gift to help with their expenses in making the trip to Los Angeles.
When she lived in the Portland community she sponsored one of the Betts boys to go to private school.
And while at the Meditation retreat, Ruth donated over $15,000 dollars to put a much needed fence around the gardens there.
Later, in 2017, when Ruth came back to live at Ananda House in Portland under the loving care of Mari and Hanuman, she continued to garden, helping keep our yard looking its best. For a while, she was able to go on long walks, and loved hiking up to the Master shrine at Yogananda Gardens in Laurelwood. Ruth was open hearted, enthusiastic and just a little bit impish. She always wanted to help, and to make sure that everyone was happy.
Ruth with Hanuman and Mari
The day that Master’s murti came to Laurelwood, we went over to see him, cradled on the long flat-bed truck. Ruth laid her hand on his spiritual eye and just stood transfixed for a long time. Then she turned, gave me an impish grin, and did a little dance beside him. Later, she watched through binoculars from our garden, as the crane and crew set him in place on the hillside.
Ruth was always interested in deepening her commitment to this path and in understanding how to do so.
She took Discipleship vows in February 1998, and Kriya Initiation in July, 1998.
In September 2000 she took the Living Discipleship program, becoming a full member of Ananda; she took her Sevaka Life Vows in January 2008. And, in 2010, Ruth took the Nayaswami vow.
