Ruben Salinas

Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way it. On March 9, Ruben Salinas, beloved son, uncle, brother, and friend, parted from us after a brief illness. Ruben was the third child of Pablo Salinas and Josephine Salinas (nee Cruz) and lived in Racine his entire life. He was a fixture of the neighborhood around Ehlert Street and Island Park, where he resided most of his life.

Ruben was a lover of many things: A fan of The Chicago Cubs, Ruben loved baseball and would often be seen in the park watching softball tournaments during the warm summer nights. He was always greeted with a smile at every game by those who were there often, and he would stay out as late as he was allowed. A lover of all kinds of food, Ruben always enjoyed every meal he was served and was never afraid to try new things. A lover of the music of the fifties and sixties, he kept busy visiting the various festivals of summer. A lover of his family and friends, he enjoyed spending time with them, always enjoyed birthday parties, weddings, or social events, or just watching game shows on TV with them, but his favorite was the Por La Gente Tournament.

For twenty years, Ruben worked at Careers in Racine, where he loved to be on the go, whether dusting in churches, bowling, or delivering books to the library. He always greeted his colleagues with a smile and their full names. By and large, staff and friends remember Ruben as a bright point during the two decades he worked with them.

Ruben was just as big a contributor at home as he was at work. Always out raking leaves or sweeping the steps, he loved to help out around the house and keep busy. The neighbors always knew Ruben would soon be out front in his chair, keeping watch of the area's happenings and kindly saying hello to them, greeting them just like at work using their full names.

Ruben is preceded in death by his mother, Josephine, his father, Pablo, and his brothers, Richard and Raymond. He is survived by his brother Robert, his sisters Rosalinda Salinas-Hultman (Jan) and Rita Salinas-Lonergan (Daniel), and countless nieces, nephews, cousins, colleagues, friends, and neighbors.

Relatives and friends are invited to share memories and refreshments with the family at the funeral home Saturday, March 16, 2024, 3-5 pm. In honor of Ruben please dress as if you are meeting for a softball game. At 5 pm all are invited to Island Park Bridge to honor Ruben by placing a flower in the river.

Memorials to Careers Industries have been suggested.

We are sure we shall never forget Ruben Salinas or this parting that there was among us.