Ruben E. Ochoa

The Life of Ruben Ernesto Ochoa

Ruben Ernesto Ochoa, whose love of the great outdoors was outdone only by his love for his wife and daughters, passed peacefully in his sleep on October 26, 2014, after a long and courageous fight with illness. He was 61.

Ruben was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel Jr. and Alba Ochoa of Laredo. Born in Laredo on May 14, 1953, Ruben was a graduate of J.W. Nixon High School and attended Texas A&M University as a Presidential Scholar, graduating in May 1975 with a degree in political science. He also attended The University of Texas School of Law in Austin with a focus on natural resource, property, and patent law.

Ruben met the love of his life, Victoria Moreland, in Austin while working at the Texas State Historical Association, and on December 4, 1993, they married in a simple, beautiful outdoor ceremony. In addition to his beloved Vicki, he is survived by his loving daughters, Claire Michelle, 20, and Danielle Victoria, 19. He is also survived by three brothers, all of whom he dearly loved: Daniel Ochoa III of Boerne, TX, Roberto L. Ochoa of Driftwood, TX, and Federico A. Ochoa of Salem, OR, along with a number of nieces and nephews.

Ruben's close-in-age brother, Federico, fondly remembers the great childhood that the two shared in Laredo: "I loved my brother dearly. We made each other laugh. He was my big brother, mentor, and friend throughout life. We went through our college years together. Academics came easily to him. There were many adventures we shared and I will treasure those memories forever. He was gregarious, and people very much enjoyed being around him. In his later years he cherished quiet, solitary, and reflective times. Although he had many years ahead of him, his suffering was relieved by God's will."

Ruben, Victoria, Claire, and Danielle moved from Texas to Oregon in 2008, trading in the cactus desert of the Southwest for the evergreen forest of the Pacific Northwest. Ruben was enchanted with the beauty and spirit of Oregon. His job as water policy analyst with the Oregon Water Resources Department, which he began in late 2007, took him to many locations around the state where he befriended a wide range of people and honed his innate skill at forging compromises. At WRD Ruben's many responsibilities and contributions included coordinating implementation of new legislation across the agency, including rule-making activities for the department; serving on the Sovereign Technical Team for review of the Columbia River Treaty; and, as WRD's citizen advocate on environmental justice issues, serving on an inter-agency team and interacting with the state's Environmental Justice Task Force. Ruben also worked directly with Oregon's nine federally recognized Native American tribes, helping to build relationships and trust, a role that was particularly meaningful to him. In addition, he was responsible for developing WRD's Sustainability Plan and ensuring that sustainability was built into the agency's programs, policies, and plans, including the state's first Integrated Water Resources Strategy.

Ruben was a wide-ranging professional, jack of many trades, and true Renaissance Man given the shear breadth of his knowledge, interests, and skills. In addition to state water policy expertise, he was an expert in land use and natural resources policy, topics that came easily to a true naturalist with an overriding love of the outdoors. Ruben had an extensive career in Texas state government, including legislative aide for various Texas State Senators, policy analyst for the Texas Water Development Board where he played a key role in development and drafting of the Texas State Water Plan, manager of governmental relations for the Texas Department of Economic Development, and media liaison for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

In addition, Ruben was passionate about historic preservation and was an accomplished Texas historian in his own right. At the Texas Historical Commission in the Local History Programs Office he was responsible for researching and writing the inscriptions on state historical markers, and he later became program administrator of the Historical Markers 2000 Project to survey and repair many of the state's more than 12,000 official historical markers. Prior to that, as a research associate at the Texas State Historical Association, Ruben wrote over 175 articles for the "Handbook of Texas," a multi-volume encyclopedia of Texas history, culture, geography, and many other topics, which led to travel, personal interviews, and archival research throughout Texas, which he relished.

As an entrepreneur and inventor Ruben ventured into private enterprise, founding a corporation to patent, manufacture, and market recreational innovations. Ruben also worked as a freelance consultant, researcher, and writer on topics ranging from environmental conservation and historic preservation to travel and heritage tourism. He wrote a number of articles for "Texas Highways Magazine" that led to memorable and unusual travel adventures for his family.

In his youth Ruben worked as a park ranger at Garner State Park located along his beloved Frio River in Uvalde County, Texas, a place that he made sure his wife and daughters came to know in later years. But it was one of his first summer jobs--as a tour guide and bus driver at Yellowstone National Parkthat sealed Ruben's love of nature and crystallized his desire to pass along to others the outdoor experience he so cherished. The Garner area and Yellowstone Park remained close to Ruben's heart throughout his life. His experiences in these two magical places formed the foundation of his lifelong reverence and respect for the natural world.

Ruben lived a full and active life. He loved hiking, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, Big Bend National Park, and the Coast-to-Coast Trail in northern England. If he had a chance to take a road trip he would take it. Solitary moments enjoying the pleasures of nature were among his favorite times, and he could put pen to paper to describe those moments in a unique and most wonderful way. In all who knew him well, Ruben inspired appreciation of the great beauty in our world. The joy it brought to him he in turn imbued in us. A celebration of life was at his core, and he brought his customary gusto and spontaneity to everything he undertook. Above all, he never lost his wonder at the glories of earth, sea, and sky, and the energetic "joie de vivre" that was his essence.

Quick-witted and light-hearted, Ruben had unique verbal and mental gifts that made him so special--the extraordinary beauty of a man with a heart that was both pure and simple. Those fortunate to have made Ruben's acquaintance mourn the loss of a true "old soul" and the kind, loving heart within that never stopped caring passionately about so many things. Hearts are heavy in his absence, but Ruben leaves behind deep, loving bonds and a lifetime of fond recollections that time cannot erase. Although the incomparable, infectious laugh is silenced, and the twinkling, azure-blue eyes brimming with life are closed, the memory of the loving and caring prince of a man that defined Ruben as a devoted family man and true friend lives on.

For his closest friends, Ruben brought new, profound meaning to the word "friend." Those lucky enough to have experienced that brand of friendship are left saddened and wanting. Now he is in a better place, and because of him the same can be said for those of us who came to know and love him. Ruben taught his friends about the singular beauty of the outdoors and its overwhelming majesty. But, mostly, he taught some of us about ourselves, about love and respect, and about the meaning and depth of true friendship. "He was genuine," writes Guillermo X. Garcia, Ruben's oldest and closest friend. "A true, gentle soul, charming, quick-witted, and incredibly sharp. I loved him and miss him tremendously. I've never met anyone like him. He was a wondrous, joyous, incredibly big-hearted character enveloped in an enigma."

Fun-loving and whimsical yet practical and analytical, Ruben was multifaceted beyond compare: photographer, stonemason, artist, world traveler, adventurer, bird lover, science buff, classic film buff, historian, mystery writer, storyteller, swimmer, boater, golfer, gardener, kite flyer, dyed-in-the-wool Taurus, incurable extrovert, pool shark, poker player, gamester, jokester, people lover, plant whisperer, tree hugger (literally), fire builder extraordinaire, devoted brother, proud Spaniard, and jolly old elf come Christmastime. More important to him than any of these, he aspired to be Greatest Dad on Earthand he succeeded.

A celebration of Ruben's life will be held on December 20, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Restlawn Funeral Home in Salem, OR.