Obituary of Gabriel Lawrence Ruth

Gabriel Lawrence Ruth of Sterling, formerly of Falls Church, died at 31 from complications from the flu. Gabe, as he was better known, was born July 20, 1982 in Buffalo, New York to proud parents Rick Ruth and Tania Ponomarenko. After a short stint in Moscow, the family settled in Falls Church, Virginia. Gabe graduated from George Mason High School in 2000. In college, he studied Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies "on a whim," spending a summer at the Middlebury Language School and a year at the American University in Cairo. In 2004, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College of William and Mary. Gabe's biggest success at William and Mary was charming his former roommate, Angela, to go out on a date with him. In 2005, the two were married, and would have three beautiful children, Ella, Oliver and Violet. In 2012, Gabe earned his MBA from Georgetown University, and at the time of his death was working as a consultant for a private equity firm. Despite his academic pedigree, Gabe was an "everyman," with a penchant for rap music, toe socks and fart jokes; he taught Ella and Oliver to pull his finger at a very young age. He let no morsel go uneaten at mealtimes, one time even drinking gravy from the pot. He enjoyed traveling, NPR, reading and watching new shows on Netflix, though he had a particular affinity for the Simpsons, relating nearly everything to, "One time, on the Simpsons..." He found peace sitting in a covered area under the rain. His best traits, however, were his strength as a father, husband, son, brother and friend. Gabriel is survived by his wife, Angela, and three children, Ella, age 4, Oliver age 2, and Violet, 11 weeks, of Sterling; his parents, Rick and Tania of Falls Church; his brother Luke and wife, Laura of Arlington; his grandmother Stephanie Ponomarenko of Buffalo and numerous cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. He is preceded in death by his grandparents Lawrence and Marion Ruth of California, formerly of Kentucky and Maine, and Alex Ponomarenko of Buffalo.