Mary Elizabeth Ruth "Betty"

Mary Elizabeth Ruth “Betty”, widow of Bernard Watts Ruth (Bernie), passed away on February 10, 2025 at the age of 94. Betty is survived by her children James Stephen (Jim) Ruth and wife Meryl Shaw of Richmond, California, Kathleen Ann (Kathy) Edden and husband John of Jacksonville, Florida, Suzanne Marie (Suzy) Young and husband Thom of Atlanta, Georgia and two grandchildren, Elizabeth Ruth Edden and Joseph Martin (Joe) Edden. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Rosalie Caponiti Ruth, widow of Betty’s beloved brother-in-law Joseph Kane Ruth.

Betty was born April 5, 1930, in Perryman, Maryland, the youngest of two girls to Elizabeth Ellen and Steve Martin. She often commented on her idyllic childhood, raised with her older sister Mary Regina in the small town of Aberdeen, Maryland with loving parents in a tight knit community. Raised in a faithful Catholic family, she attended St. Stephens School for her grade school and high school years. She then graduated from Mount Saint Agnes College in Baltimore. After graduation, Betty moved to the big city of Baltimore where she lived with her dear friend Kit and embarked on her first job with General Electric. It was at GE where she met Bernie Ruth, whom she always referred to as “the love of her life”. Bernie and Betty, nicknamed Big B and Little b, were married on April 11, 1953, and shared a loving marriage for 46 years.

Family was Betty’s unquestionable priority, and she was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was also the consummate executive’s wife throughout Bernie’s long career with General Electric. As Bernie’s career advanced, a hallmark of their marriage was moving from city to city. She created homes for her family in Bethesda and Silver Spring, Minneapolis, Houston, Cincinnati and Chattanooga. Always gracious and empathetic, Betty took those moves as an opportunity to teach her children to always be open, kind and inclusive of others. Throughout those years she enjoyed special friendships, bridge clubs, gardening, entertaining, various hobbies and travel. After her children were grown, Betty worked at an insurance company, a personnel agency and a mental health clinic where she expanded her horizons and was enriched by her relationships with her co-workers. After retiring, she and Bernie moved to Atlanta where soon after Bernie passed in 1999. At that time, she joined the Small Christian Community group at the Cathedral of Christ the King in which she practiced her faith and developed treasured friendships.

Betty lived with her youngest child Suzy and her son-in-law Thom Young in Atlanta until her passing. Her forever optimistic and caring spirit was a precious gift to them. For that final 20 years of Betty’s life, she was blessed with a new chapter of dear friends in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina and her extended family of the Youngs whom she loved so deeply. Betty was simply lovely, gracious, dignified, bright, humble, kind and always quick to laugh. She had great humor and loved to be around “funny people”. She enjoyed staying informed, voraciously consuming news and reading the Wall Street Journal every morning. Betty had a deep faith, a great love of country and was deeply moved by the plight of abused and neglected children and animals and memories of the WWII generation.

Betty’s inner strength and positive outlook were remarkable, as she had the ability to only look forward in life. She was an invaluable inspiration to all who knew her well. A memorial service will be held at 10 AM on Monday, March 3, 2025, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA. The family will greet friends at the church following the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Cathedral of Christ the King, The Wounded Warrior Project, or The Atlanta Humane Society.