Ruby Lee Leiterman

She was born in Milton, FL on February 10, 1919 to Roe Bert Summerlin and Ruby Rosella

Summerlin. She graduated from J.M. Tate High School in 1937. She was employed by

Newberry’s department store and helped customers with fabric selection and sewing

materials. She trained as a seamstress through a course offered by Singer Sewing and

Embroidery. She enjoyed making clothing for her family and creating quilts. She enjoyed

gardening and looking after her flowers, especially the roses that her husband William planted

when they moved into their newly built home in Copper Forest Estates in 1987. Ruby married

William in 1939 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church downtown in Pensacola, FL. She was a

member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church for many decades, where she and William renewed their

wedding vows, in their golden ages, after she converted to Catholicism. Ruby was a nurturing

mother, grandmother, great grandmother, Aunt, and friend. She was a great listener and made

everyone she encountered feel special. She was passionate about caring for children,

providing support to any individual who might need a helping hand, and was generous to no

end and without hesitation. Ruby was an incredible homemaker and an expert at cooking

southern comfort food. She loved making sure that everyone was well fed. She loved sitting

outside on her back patio and taking in a little sunshine, with her feet propped up and her

broad brimmed hat in place. All the while, she would be sipping on half of a drink, with half of

any entree, and often a whole dessert of some sort. A friend says that she learned the key to

longevity from Mema, eat your whole dessert first and then half of everything else. For 16

years, up until 2016, she was accompanied by her loyal cat, Precious, who was underfoot

whether Mema was on the patio, tending her flowers, checking the mail, or sitting at her place

in the kitchen.

Ruby was the epitome of strength and resilience. She lived through 2 pandemics and 2 brain

surgeries (one from a benign brain tumor at age 62 and one at age 93 from a fall off a step

ladder, because she just had to get something down from the top of her closet). She would

eloquently let you know her thoughts on any topic. She was never afraid to let anyone know

her opinion, or if something needed to be fixed. She would make things happen. Those who

were close to her knew what she was thinking if someone was “Acting.” She was smart, sassy,

and witty with an amazing sense of humor. She loved a good laugh. She loved being

entertained by her great grandson Ramsey whom she called her “Big boy” and she loved

having her nails and hair done on the regular by her great niece Kayla. She lived a wonderful

life and was a special lady who will be deeply missed. God must have needed an extraordinary

angel and called her home to heaven. Her great grandson says, now Mema has her golden

wings.

Ruby is preceded in death by her husband of 59 years William Leiterman, her daughter Barbara

Dianne Leiterman-Busbee and her 10 younger siblings (Adrian, Mallory, Malloree, Alvy, Albert,

Mildred, Francis, Alton, Alene, and Madison).

She is survived by her daughter, Loretta L. Jackson, grandchildren, Candy Sellers, and Jamie

Jackson Dos Santos (Roni Dos Santos), great grandson, Ramsey Jackson Dos Santos, her son-in-law

Tim Busbee, along with many nieces and nephews, as well as other relatives.

The family will receive guests between the hours of 10am to 11am on Thursday, February 10,

2022 at Bayview Fisher Pou Chapel and Funeral Home, 3351 Scenic Highway 90E, Pensacola, Fl

32503. The funeral service will be held at 11am directly afterward, followed by the entombment

in the mausoleum on Bayview Fisher Pou Memorial Park, all on the same property.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that you consider a donation in Ruby’s name to

https://teamgleason.org/donate/ whose goal is to improve life for people living with ALS by

delivering innovative technology and equipment, as well as providing and empowering an improved

life, or https://www.als.org/donate whose goal is to find a cure for ALS. ALS is a progessive

neurodegenerative disease which took the life of Ruby’s youngest daughter Dianne.

Attending pallbearers will be Christopher Summerlin, Alex Summerlin, Tristan Lynn, Corey McCarragher, Bart Wiggins and Bruce Hunt.