THE LOCAL BRITISH Community has suffered a heavy blow with the passing of longtime King’s Head co-owner Ruth Elwell.
Ruth passed away peacefully on January 6th in Rancho Mirage after a short illness. She is survived by her broken-hearted husband Phil. The couple had been married for close to 60 years and together shepherded the growth of the pub, which first opened in small premises on Santa Monica Boulevard in 1974, into the much larger enterprise it is today.
Born Ruth Anne Sweeney in Scranton, Pennsylvania, she met Phil shortly after his arrival from Birmingham when they lived in the same Los Angeles apartment building. According to family folklore, one night Ruth was dressed up to go on a double date with her sister Mary when they bumped into Phil, who invited Ruth out for a ride in his car instead. Ruth promptly ditched her date and the rest, as they say, is history.
Shortly after tying the knot they opened the King’s Head to fulfil their dream of creating a genuine British hostelry for transplanted Brits to come together and build a community. And Ruth was just as much a partner in that endeavor as Phil. An accountant by trade, she kept a tight eye on the finances while Phil employed his gregarious charm to make friends with everyone who walked through the doors.
During their stewardship the pub became THE place for Los Angeles-based Brits of all vintages to meet for a drink, and a chat, and grab some authentic British food. The pub also became famed for its celebrity clientele, with guests as diverse as Rod Stewart, Englebert Humpdinck, Jeff Lynne, Ozzy Osbourne, Richard Branson and Hugh Grant all popping for a quick bevvy or to pick up a tasty treat from the Gift Shoppe
Regulars at the pub became close friends, and the employees became family. Although the couple had no children of their own, Ruth was famed for her generosity to staff and their children, and for many years she organized an annual Christmas party, buying presents for the children and hiring a ‘Santa’ to add to the fun.
After retiring midway through the Noughties and handing the reins over to the current owners Paul Boetcher and Donal Tavey, the pair moved to Rancho Mirage, where Ruth kept busy with charity events, ladies’ lunches and their beloved McCallum theatre in Palm Desert. When they weren’t indulging in their love of global travel to exotic places, Phil explored painting and sculpture at home, while Ruth kept busy with Pilates and was very fond of brisk walks before the heat of the day set in.
The pair also kept a place in Newport Beach where they would enjoy spending weekends by the water.
Ruth is survived by Phil, her nieces Nicola and Lisa who are well known to King’s Head regulars, and assorted other family in Southern California and Pennsylvania. Ruth will be very sorely missed by everyone who knew her.
Since the British Weekly debuted in 1984 Ye Olde King’s Head has been the most loyal and generous of advertisers and our dealings with Ruth were never anything less than a pleasure. From start to finish, Ruth Elwell was a class act, and this newspaper extends its very deepest sympathies to Phil, Nicola and Lisa.
