Ruth Shepherd-Vallin, possibly the oldest person living in Ocean Beach for 100 years, passed away peacefully at her home on Aug. 6, just 10 days short of what would have been her 106th birthday. Ruth is survived by her son, Richard Vallin, 72; her younger sister, Dotti Shepherd-Duddridge, 85; five grandchildren; six nieces; five nephews; three great grandsons; three great-great grandsons; six great-granddaughters; three great-great granddaughters; eight grandnieces; four great-great grandnieces; six grandnephews; and four great-great grandnephews. Ruth was born in 1906 and lived on 31st Street in San Diego. At the age of 6, Ruth’s family, using a horse-drawn carriage, moved to Ocean Beach where the family purchased a tent house with a wood-burning stove, just next to where Jack in the Box is located today. Ruth entered the first grade at Ocean Beach Elementary School. For the next 100 years, Ruth would call this sandy beach town her home. Ruth was very active with the Ocean Beach Historical Society and would often share memories of her fascinating and unbelievably long life. At one time, she talked about her elementary school, which in the early days had only two classrooms to serve the first through eighth grades. When it was time for high school, Ruth had to travel using a street car to attend San Diego High, where she graduated in 1925. Point Loma High School was finally built and dedicated the year of her graduation. Ruth started her working career as a secretary for California Packing Corp. in San Diego and was quickly promoted to an accountant position as a payroll clerk. In 1934, Ruth Shepherd was married to Albert Vallin, a native San Diegan engineer and cost estimator. On Dec. 7, 1941, the very day that Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, the Vallins moved into their first home in Ocean Beach. Here, on Del Monte Ave,, Ruth and Al would spend the rest of their lives enjoying the ocean view. Albert passed away in 1997 at the age of 89. Ruth Shepherd-Vallin was truly “living history” and someone very special to Ocean Beach. She certainly was one of the oldest living people in the city of San Diego at the time of her death. Ruth was a witness to both the progressive and modern eras, she lived through two world wars and survived The Great Depression. Ruth watched everyone trade in their horse-drawn carriages for a new invention called the automobile. She was there when the world took flight and when a man eventually landed on the moon. Ruth was there to live our history. When interviewed by Noah Tafolla in his documentary “Wonderland — Ocean Beach Part 2,” Ruth was asked her secret of living a long life. Her response was simply, “Just to be happy and look for the good things in life.”