Obituary of Ruth Arline Whipple

Ruth Arline Whipple, 69, of Largo passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on February 18, 2020. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward Whipple and Marjorie Stockwell.  Ruth is survived by her children, grandchildren, her siblings, nieces and nephews, and her Florida family. 

If God is love, Ruth is one of the powerful ways he showed it to us.  Ruth had a spirit of love that was felt by all her knew her well and also by those who may have just met her for a moment on a flight to Raleigh or in line at the grocery store.  Many were touched by her sweet spirit and she rejoiced in sharing her love of the Lord. Ruth’s friends in Florida really were extra special to her.  This amazing group of friends who loved and took care of each other were family to her. And Ruth had a deep connection to her son in KY.  She talked to him almost every day and took comfort in their close relationship despite the miles that separated them.

Ruth had an adventurous spirit. She took flying lessons and loved to be up in the clouds.  Her sense of adventure and great faith led her to travel the world.  Not to the glamorous spots, but to some of the most desperate spots.  She used her talents as a nurse to help those who needed it most.  She shared her faith and lit a candle (maybe a torch?) in some of the darkest spots in the world. 

Beyond her loving and adventurous spirit, Ruth was also just plain fun.  She was proud to say she instigated a “flour fight” in her daughter’s kitchen with her grandsons while their mother (her daughter) was away.  When confronted with the mess, she said “It was so FUN and I tried to clean up.”  Fun was her forte, cleaning up…not so much.

I think she would say to us, love each other, have faith in the Lord, have FUN and don’t worry so much about the little messes along the way. And what we all want to know is…how are we supposed to get by without her sweet smile and our Nurse on call?

Ruth loved flowers, but she loved people more. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hospice or your favorite group that supports children in need.  Or perhaps raise some butterflies in her memory!  And if you felt moved to start a “flour fight,” she certainly wouldn’t mind.