Ruth I. Switzer

A Celebration of Her Life

Ruth Isabell Switzer was called home to be with our Lord on Sunday, August 14, 2016. She was pre-deceased by Hugh, her husband of 58 years.

Born on January 19, 1920, in Brooklyn, NY, she was the youngest of three children of August and Isabella Otto; a brother August died at the age of five, and her sister Eleanor was six years older than Ruth. Her father owned a general store in Brooklyn near the Williamsburg Bridge, and Ruth had very fond memories of growing up there, going to Coney Island, attending PS 166, going on Sunday boat rides on the Hudson River, and being a tomboy and a little sister to Eleanor. During the Depression her father lost his store and moved the family to Huntington Beach on Long Island. He made a living shellfishing and running a business from his home that included Isabella serving breakfast and lunch to customers. Ruth graduated from the 9th grade, went to business school, became an office clerk in an insurance company, and enjoyed her time swimming and boating in Huntington Bay. She once wrote a fan letter inviting Bing Crosby to come fishing with her. While no response was received, she continued to enjoy the singing of Bing and other crooners.

During the war, Ruth signed up to join the Army Air Corps, surprising her family who had known her to be homesick when away from home as a child. She reported for basic training to Fort Oglethorpe in Arkansas, and spent most of her time in the WAACs at the Boca Raton Army Air Field in Florida. Ruth worked in an office processing service men for deployment to Europe, formed many friendships that lasted a lifetime, enjoyed the work, with the exception of K.P. duty, and met her future husband Hugh Switzer from Mississippi. Ruth also worked in Washington, D.C., and after the war, Corporal Otto was processed out at Fort Dix, NJ.

Ruth and Hugh wrote letters to each other during Hugh’s time in the Philippines, and after returning stateside Hugh rushed to New York to marry Ruth in 1947, and brought her to Fort Benning, GA. Ruth then began her career as an awesome military wife, mother, homemaker, and cook. Richard and Donald were born in Georgia. Additional transfers and children as the growing family moved included Camp Atterbury, IN (Diane); Saltzburg, Austria; Arlington, VA (Lenore and Gary); Brady Air Force Base, Kyushu, Japan (Karen), and; finally back to Arlington, VA.

Ruth was known for her excellent letter writing, her amazing crocheting, and her good home cooking. She sewed her own clothes when young, and continued to sew and teach it to her children. She excelled in cookie-making, providing those treats for family, friends, pot luck meals, and to service members working on Christmas at Fort Myers. Ruth won many ribbons at the Arlington County Fair for her crochet work, and included a crocheted ornament in all her Christmas Cards for over 25 years. She cherished the friends she made through tours of duty, attending chapel services, and commissary shopping.

Ruth loved “finally” becoming a grandmother of nine and great-grandmother of eight. She had a full life, making the most of her 96 years. She has been a blessing to many, and her family has been richly blessed to have her. We love you Mom/Grandma/Great-Grandma!