Ruth McCarthy

July 24, 1925 - December 26, 2010

Ruth Ellen McCarthy, 85, Osprey, Florida, died peacefully on December 26, 2010.

A memorial mass will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Osprey, FL on January 4, 2011, at 10:00 A.M.

Survivors include her sons William (Pat), Sarasota, and Kevin (Toni) Osprey, grandchildren Kelly Pepe (Marshall) of Sarasota and Ryan McCarthy, St. Augustine, FL, and great grandchildren Alexander and Katherine Pepe and her most loved sister Rose Chittick of Omaha, Nebraska and her family.

Ruth Ellen Carder was born on the family farm in North English, Iowa, the daughter of Onel and Alice Williams Carder. She became a teacher and taught in one of the last one room schoolhouses in Iowa. She married Paul McCarthy in 1946 and shared a remarkably loving marriage for 53 years until his death in 1999. During her marriage they raised their two sons in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and she worked periodically as a teacher. She will be remembered for a life long love of teaching and learning. They retired to Osprey , Florida in 1988 and lived in the Arbors where they had a life rich with friendship.

Since 1943 she exchanged Round Robin letters with her high school girlfriends. This wonderful correspondence has lasted 67 years and will continue on with her remaining wonderful "Robins"

.

Donations may be made in her name to Ave Maria Preparatory School, www.amuprep.org, 941-322-1601 or Tidewell Hospice.

Guestbook: www.palmsrobartsfuneralhome.com

Arrangements under the direction of Palms - Robarts Funeral Home & Memorial Park, Sarasota, FL.