Ruth Marion Harvey

Ruth Marion (Waite)Harvey a resident of Clearwater, Florida for 54 years, died on September 6, 2011 after a brief illness at Manor Care in Dunedin, Florida. She was the beloved wife of the late Walter C. Harvey who died in 1973. Born on June 22, 1921 in Providence, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of the late Ray Hamilton Waite and the late Ruth Elizabeth (Brown) (Waite) Dibbell. She was also the beloved foster daughter of the late Adah Watson of Cranston, Rhode Island.

Ruth was a 1939 graduate of Waltham High School, Waltham, MA. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology with a minor in Education from Tufts University in 1949. She was one of the first females to receive a scholarship to Tufts University under the G.I. Bill.

Ruth served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and achieved the rank of Machinist Mate Third Class. She was honorably discharged in 1944.

Ruth worked for many years as a legal secretary for numerous law offices in Clearwater. Never one to retire, she most recently worked for the Clearwater Senior Citizens Center.

Ruth was a life member of the Palestine Chapter #114 of Eastern Star in Newtonville, MA. She held membership in the American Legion Post 7 of Clearwater. Ruth was the President of the Clearwater 500 Bowling Club, 2nd Vice-President of the Clearwater Turtles Club. She was an active member of the Clearwater Red Hat Society and bowled in the Moondusters League and the Friday Night League.

She is survived by her nephews Edward N. Bates, of Clearwater; Curtis A. Bates and his wife Donna of Massachusetts; Stephen Waite and his wife Anne of Washington; her niece Alicia Beck and her husband Clayton, of NH; and Danny Dibbell and his wife Donna of Virginia; her grandnephews Aaron M. Bates; Brian C. Bates and his wife Anna; and her grandniece and godchild Elizabeth S. (Bates) Coddaire and her husband Phillip, all of Massachusetts; her brother-in-law Leonard Harvey and his wife Faye of Port Charlotte, FL; her sister-in-law Thyra Waite of New York; her nephew Robert Harvey and his wife Nancy of Washinginton; nieces Susan Aubert and her husband Richard and Lee Krawczyk and her husband John, both of Massachusetts.

She was the sister of the late Ray H. Waite, who died on August 9, 2011; the late Barbara E. Bates, and the late Ted Dibbell.

Her funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 11 a.m. at the Moss-Feaster Funeral Home , 693 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL, followed by internment at Sylvan Abby. In lieu of flowers donations in Ruth’s name may be sent to the American Cancer Society.