Barstow remembers Runyon’s fighting spirit

Helen will surely be missed. Just this past Sunday I went to visit Helen at Rimrock Convalescent Home, she was still stubborn as ever. She was complaining about the food and wanted some DiNapolie's spaghetti, unfortunately they are closed on Sunday's, so I went to Red Baron's Pizza. Helen was still grieving the sudden death of her good friend Paul Warner. As I was leaving she quoted Shakespeare's Juliet "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow" The last and final words to me. Love you Helen. Joe

BARSTOW • Friends, colleagues, adversaries, and neighbors remember Helen Katherine Moriarty Runyon for her fighting spirit. The former Barstow City Councilwoman of 16 years died of congestive heart failure at Barstow Community Hospital on Friday morning, said close friend Pat Christensen Gumz, who was with her. Runyon was 85 and would have turned 86 on Jan. 16, 2009. Runyon served on the City Council from 1990 to 2006. Aside from that stint, she was active in other community endeavors, from the task force that founded Desert Manna Ministries homeless shelter in the 1980s, to serving food in the soup kitchen at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, said Eddie U. Garcia, a fellow member of the Mojave Desert Democratic Club, who served as Runyon’s campaign treasurer on each of her Council bids. Mayor Joe Gomez, who became close with Runyon while the two were serving on the Council together from 2004 to 2006, said there were two sides to her — the fiery, sometimes adversarial politician people saw at City Council meetings and the kind, caring woman who would do anything for a friend. “She believed in truth in city government — that’s all she preached to me,” Gomez said. “She fought for what she believed in. She was a straight shooter, and she had nothing to hide.” Gomez recalled that Runyon was a passionate champion of the “hospital fund,” money set aside to build a new hospital that complied with state earthquake regulations. Manuel “Gil” Gurule, who served on the Council from 1988 to 1992, recalled that she was also strongly involved with the city’s fight for water rights in the Mojave River Basin and with saving the historic Harvey House from demolition. Former Councilwoman Gloria Darling, who served from 1998 to 2006, remembered Runyon’s penchant for sniffing out anything that had an appearance of secrecy or backroom dealing in the city government. “She was very tenacious,” Darling said. “If she got a hold of some information or whatever, until she was satisfied that it was right, that it was just and that nothing was being hidden, she would pursue it and badger people to death.” Although that trait was sometimes frustrating to others, Darling said that in the end, Runyon worked for the best interests of Barstow. “We always need people like her — that’s the only thing that that keeps politicians going in the right direction for the taxpayers,” she said. Lawrence Dale, who served as mayor from 2000 to 2008, said despite their often adversarial relationship on the Council, he respected Runyon. “Somewhere down the line you have to come to the agreement that we’re all there to do for the city and not for ourselves,” he said. “... She had been on the Council for a number of years and served the city well on her tenure.” Darling also recalled Runyon’s generous spirit. Despite their arguments on the Council, when Darling was recovering from a surgery, Runyon showed up at her door with a gift of a homemade roast. Laura Moraco, police services assistant for the Barstow Police Department, met Runyon after coming to work for the city in 1996. The two quickly became friends. Moraco remembered that Runyon would bring homemade soup and roasts to the city and police department staff every Christmas and on various occasions throughout the year. More than that, Moraco remembered Runyon as a model of a strong woman who could hold her own in a man’s world, while still retaining her sense of style. “I think she was what women should aspire to be — strong and independent and feisty,” Moraco said. While she a tough woman, Moraco said, Runyon carried herself with grace and elegance. Almost until the end, she would visit her hairdresser every Tuesday and would not leave the house unless she was looking sharp, Gumz said. Roman “Junior” Saavedra, Jr., Runyon’s neighbor since 1972, drove her to the hairdresser’s and to do her shopping every week, after she was no longer able to drive. Born in Massachusetts and raised by her grandmother and aunts, Runyon moved to Barstow in the 1960s with her husband Cecil “Ike” Runyon, who had taken a job as executive director of the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce, according to Gumz and Gurule, who was Runyon’s friend and held power of attorney for her. The Runyons were preparing to move again, for another job in Las Vegas, when Cecil died of a heart attack in the early 1970s, and Helen elected to stay in Barstow. She later worked as a receptionist in the office of Dr. Richard Woodyard, her significant other of about 10 years, who died in the early 1980s, Gurule said. Runyon had no children of her own, but for Gumz, whose family lived next door to the Runyons when they first moved to Barstow, Runyon became like a second mother. Gumz’ parents died while she was in her early 30s, and Runyon became a true mother figure to her after that. Friends also recalled that Runyon loved animals and was constantly taking in strays. She wanted her estate to go to a cause benefiting animals, Gurule said.