Elisabeth van der Mei, also known as Calico and Ruby to the Grateful Dead community, passed away last Wednesday at the age of 79 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

A longtime fixture of the Grateful Dead community in the early days, Ruby got involved with GDTS in 1983 when the band began selling their own concert tickets. Ruby was known for responding to ticket requests with handwritten notes and faithfully answering phone calls and emails. She retired in the fall of 2008 and moved to Laytonville, CA to spend time with family.

Per a post on the GDTSTOO Facebook page, the family has requested that in lieu of flowers and cards, please make your donation to Camp Winnarainbow or to the Rex Foundation.

For more on Ruby, read an obituary penned by Rob Scalcione for Deadheadland.com.