Ruby Notley

Ruby Jean Notley passed away on August 21, 2026, at the age of 90. Ruby was born on July 16, 1936, in Houston, Texas, to Opal Inez McDaniel and Willie Riley Walters. She was the oldest of her mother’s eight children and stepped into the role of caregiver early in life. Ruby was more than a big sister to her younger siblings. For much of their lives, she was a mother figure to them, helping care for them, looking out for them, and carrying a deep sense of responsibility for her family. Ruby grew to become the matriarch of her family, a role that suited her well. Through five generations, she was Moma, Grandma, great-grandma, great-great-grandma, sister, and Aunt Ruby. She was strong, independent, opinionated, and never afraid to tell you exactly how it was. With Ruby, you never had to wonder what she was thinking because she was more than happy to tell you herself. Her strength, honesty, and unmistakable personality made Ruby simply Ruby, and those who loved her would not have had her any other way. Ruby is survived by her three daughters, Debra Notley, Donna Shoven and husband Randy, and Deanna Notley-Wiest. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Erica Parnell and husband Jeff, Erin Williams and husband Scotty, Kyle Notley, Cody Jones and wife Abby, and Joel Wiest. Her great-grandchildren are Tatum Chavez and husband Enrique, Ethan Parnell and wife Caitlyn, Levi Parnell, Jackson Parnell, Christopher Williams and wife Gabby, Claire Jones, Ephriam Jones, and Jericho Jones. Ruby was also blessed with great-great-grandchildren, Ava Chavez, Dacoda Parnell, and Amilia Chavez. She also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, too numerous to name individually, whom she loved beyond measure. And if you asked Aunt Ruby, every single one of them was her favorite. Ruby was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John Robert Notley; her great-grandchildren, John Robert Williams, James Scot Williams, and Everly Elizabeth Williams; her great-great-grandson, Tucker Scott Williams; and her siblings, Sue, James, Joel, Margaret, Archie, Richard, and Patricia. Ruby loved God, and her faith remained an important part of her life. She loved her family fiercely, and especially in her later years, she also loved her cell phone. Anyone who knew Ruby will understand exactly why that phone deserves a place in her obituary. It kept her connected to the people she loved and became one of those wonderfully ordinary things about her that her family will always remember with a smile. Her 90 years held joy and hardship, love and loss, laughter and family, and more than a few stories. She lived long enough to see the family she helped care for as a young girl grow into generations of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Ruby leaves behind a family who knew exactly how much they were loved. And if you tried to tell her that you loved her more, you were unlikely to win that argument. Ruby would remind you that she always loved you more, a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck. She was the matriarch. She was one of a kind. And she will be deeply missed by the generations of family who were fortunate enough to call her Moma, Grandma, and Aunt Ruby. Moma, you’re home with Daddy at the Notleys’ little place in Heaven’s big piney woods. Funeral service will be at 2:00pm, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 at Max Slayton Funeral Chapel with interment to follow at Hillcrest Cemetery in Forney. Her family will receive friends beginning at 1:00pm to service time.

Ruby Notley

July 16, 1936 - August 21, 2026