John “Jack” Ruth, Sr.
May 7, 2018

John “Jack” Ruth  Memorial services will be held on May 25, 2018:

10:00am    Marine Corps League, Holiday Detachment 567,  7241 Bailie Road  and Rowen Road, New Port Richey, Florida

1:00pm      First United Methodist Church of New Port Richey, 5901 Indiana Ave, New Port Richey, FL  34652

Donations may be made to VeteransAlternative.org to benefit combat veterans and would be much appreciated.

John Ruth, also known as Jackie, Jack or Rudy, was born in Wilmington, Delaware to Ralph and Harriet Ruth. Ralph worked for DuPont as a safety and fire inspector and plant photographer and editor for the DuPont plant “Newport News”. Harriet was a skilled cook, seamstress and mom to six lively children. They lived in a bungalow on Mary Street in Newport not far from the DuPont plant and within walking distance of Conrad High School where Jack was a young school mascot while sister Kappy was a cheerleader. The four oldest kids, Faye, Jean, Kathleen (Kappy) and Ralph (Sonny) took their little brother, and later, Carol (Sis), in tow and he often related stories of going to ball games, movies and on lots of adventures with his siblings and parents.

As a teen he excelled in sports at Conrad playing football, basketball and setting pole vaulting records. After working in the mail room at DuPont for a while he decided to enlist in the Marines where he became a jet mechanic and worked on phantom jets. He was also a “song bird” in the Marines and played All Star football for them as well.

After four years in the U.S.M.C. Jack applied to Wesley College in Dover, Delaware where he played football on a scholarship and used his GI bill. That’s where he met Sharral. Although they shared a class or two they didn’t date until April of their second year there in 1967. They became engaged in July and married in December of the same year. Although he was very shy at first they fell in love and  “Happy Together” was their song for 50 years!

Jack graduated from Wesley, then Delaware State, and was asked to return to Wesley as a football coach, which he loved! He also refereed basketball games at Delaware State, worked as a driver for a funeral home and sold advertising for the News Journal in Dover, Delaware.  After working as a director at the Fraim Boys Club in Elsmire, Delaware he accomplished his goal of getting into Civil Service as a recreation director for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army for military, civilians and family members on bases in Kentucky, Missouri, Germany and Korea. He was a director of activities including child care, youth sports, after school care, teen centers and recreation programs such as auto craft shops, arts and crafts facilities, tour and travel centers, sports equipment rental shops, karaoke entertainment for the clubs, and music and theater locations. He loved his job and working to support military families for 30 years.

Upon his retirement in 2003 to Florida he became busy with his grown family of three children, Kristi, Karin and Jackie, and two grandchildren, Julian and Tina. He delighted in playing, swimming and entertaining them, in 2006 he lost his voice to laryngeal cancer. He began to volunteer at schools and health fairs to promote smoking cessation among young people. He was active in the local laryngectomy support group as the vice president and newsletter editor for years until moving to New Port Richey, Florida.

In Gulf Harbors he began to polish his hobby of photography. He had been taking pictures while overseas but his growing fascination with flowers really expanded here. He published five books of sights and scenes around the neighborhood. He also made countless collages of church events, parades and the last four Stand Downs for Homeless Veterans in Hudson. Taking part in the Marine Corps League and capturing their festivities and celebration brought him great satisfaction. Once a Marine Always a Marine!

Although his health was failing him he had great love and admiration for the many doctors and health care professionals that cared for and loved him. He was patient, kind, good natured and appreciative of all that he met and interacted with and countless hugs and smiles were his reward. We’ll remember him for his love, good humor and compassion shared with family, friends and strangers as well. We thank God for being blessed in so many ways. We thank Him for Jack, Dad, our Poppee.

Memorial services will be held on May 25, 2018:

10:00am    Marine Corps League, Holiday Detachment 567,  7241 Bailie Road  and Rowen Road, New Port Richey, Florida

1:00pm      First United Methodist Church of New Port Richey, 5901 Indiana Ave, New Port Richey, FL  34652

Donations may be made to VeteransAlternative.org to benefit combat veterans and would be much appreciated.