Wife of ‘Rubes’ cartoonist was eating lunch when a devastating injury upended their lives
Cartoonist Leigh Rubin had just stepped out of the shower one afternoon in January when he called out to his wife, who was having lunch in the kitchen.
She didn’t answer, so he went to see why, only to find Teresa Rubin on the floor, unconscious, a piece of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich lodged in her throat.
She has been in a coma ever since.
Now, the cartoonist, who lives in Nipomo and has put smiles on the faces of fans across the country for 40 years through his syndicated comic strip, “Rubes,” has had his life upended as he keeps a vigil by Teresa’s side following the fluke incident that left her with a traumatic brain injury.
Rubin is continuing to work, but clearly, his focus is on his wife’s health, he said after The Tribune reached out.
“I’m used to dealing with certainty and deadlines, and this is one of those things that has no deadline,” Rubin said.
Rubin family faces unexpected tragedy
Teresa’s injury came out of the blue while the two were enjoying an otherwise routine day at home on Jan. 4, said Rubin, who credited his wife’s humor and keen eye as a lifelong teacher with helping him to sharpen his wit.
Upon discovering her on the floor, Rubin immediately called 911.
While paramedics were able to get her heart beating again, she had been without oxygen for an unknown amount of time, he said.
“You replay things in your mind, like, ‘How could I have changed something here?’ But what could I have done different?” Rubin asked. “You constantly think of things like that and over and over and over again, and it’s not a really healthy thing to do — I think it’s a natural thing to do, but it’s not healthy.”
After paramedics treated Teresa at Rubin’s home, she was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, where she spent three weeks being stabilized in the intensive care unit, Rubin said.
Since then, Teresa has been in a coma and on life support, now at a long-term care facility in Sonoma County, with Rubin temporarily moving to the area to be near her, he said.
The plan is to keep Teresa stable while doctors and nurses work to wean her off life support — the first step in a long road to hopefully waking her up, Rubin said.
While Rubin said he’s fortunate to have some family and friends in the area who have been able to support him, the 300-mile move has been a challenge, with Teresa facing an uncertain road to recovery, he said.
Sitting by her side each day, Rubin spends the time playing music and talking to Teresa for eight to 10 hours every day, he said, hoping that the familiar sounds, smells and touches will reach her.
“The goal would be some sort of meaningful recovery, and that’s a huge question mark, considering she’s not 25,” Rubin said. “Without getting too much into the details, her odds are long.”’
‘I was hoping for more chapters’
Rubin said with the future looking so unpredictable, he’s found comfort in Teresa’s most recent project: a book documenting her and her family’s history going back multiple generations.
Her storytelling includes everything from her extended family’s service in World War II and the Vietnam War to the milestones of her own life, including the birth of her children, trips to Europe and more.
“It’s such a rich thing, and it has so many cool chapters, and I was hoping for more chapters of this,” Rubin said. “I would love to see her write more stuff.”
While Teresa’s road to recovery is long and uncertain, Rubin said he’s thankful for the support of his family, friends and fans.
Friends Maggie and Dave Cox set up a GoFundMe to help Rubin pay medical bills and cover other costs related to Teresa’s medical care, raising more than $30,000 of its $50,000 goal in the past two weeks.
You can support the Rubin family by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/leigh-teresa-rubin-need-our-help.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM.
