Ruth Anne Dykeman

Ruth Anne was born to Ruth Dinsmoor Kemp and Emory Leopold Kemp and her anxiously awaiting siblings, Virginia (Hendrickson) and Malcolm. She grew up in Weymouth and Hingham, MA. As a child, she started spending summers in Wellfleet at the “camp” her father built on a peninsula at Long Pond, too young to know that Wellfleet would become her lifelong home.

While attending Hingham High School, senior Kenneth Blakeley caught her eye and won her heart. They married young and had five children. Kenneth was a pilot in the Army Air Corps in WWII, and she traveled to be with him wherever he was stationed. After the war ended, they moved to a home in Wellfleet. Their son Brian dubbed it “The Farm” due to the variety of animals Kenneth brought home, including Ferdinand the bull, Daisy the cow, Tinkerbell the goat, many dogs, chickens and pigs.

In 1956, she began the next phase of her life and married Howard Dykeman, whom she had known since High School. They had three children together, and made their home on property overlooking Drummer Cove, where they had three cottages that were rented seasonally. Ruth Anne and Howie bought The Monument Drive-In restaurant on the waterfront in Provincetown (now 9 Ryder Seaside Dining) in the early 1960’s. They ran it successfully for 18 years, recruiting most of the children to work there too. The people in Provincetown were welcoming right from the start. In 1978, they bought The Highlander cocktail lounge in North Truro, running it for several years. She enjoyed bartending and getting to know the Truro regulars, who were lots of fun and became good friends. After selling the two businesses, she became a hostess at Pilgrim's Kitchen and Serena's Restaurant. Her co-workers became like a second family to her. She loved everyone she worked with, and many affectionately called her "Mom".

Ruth Anne was a longtime member of the Congregational Church in Wellfleet, joining the choir in October 1946 and proudly continuing for 72 years. She was also a founding member of the Needlecraft Club. When she joined the Church, she single-handedly increased the size of the Sunday School, bringing her eight children, the Blakeley relatives and any others she could round up.

Her hobbies included rug hooking, which she taught for 10 years, and being a contributor to the “Confidential Chat” column in The Boston Globe. Having come from a family with artistic talents, in her later years she began painting again, creating special gifts for all her children and grandchildren. When she was 80, she wrote her memoir to preserve some of the old family stories, giving copies to everyone for Christmas. She also enjoyed cooking, especially desserts…her eclairs were famous. She was a dedicated volunteer at the Polls and also enjoyed working on political campaigns.

Ruth Anne was a devoted mother of eight and took life as it came. She was a great friend to many who have gone before her. She would jump at the chance to have fun, go out to dinner or better yet, go dancing. She felt truly blessed that most of her children lived nearby, so she had the pleasure of watching her grandchildren grow up. Through the years, Ruth Anne remained close to first husband Kenneth, his wife Judy and their three children, Patricia, Kenny and Richard, bringing the blended family count to eleven. Judy even gave her blessing for Ruth Anne to join Kenneth at his 50th High School reunion, with daughter Stephanie along to chaperone. Shirley Blakeley and her children were also part of this large family that celebrated together at holidays, birthdays, weddings, bonfires, etc. Later in life, failing eyesight and hearing limited Ruth Anne’s independence, but she remained social and always enjoyed her afternoon “7&7” cocktail.

We are so grateful for the wonderful care she received at Liberty Commons. The Staff would often tell us how sweet she was, always thanking them for their help and kindness.

Ruth Anne will be greatly missed and is survived by her children Brian (Terry) Blakeley, Stephanie (Roger) Gill, Linda Blakeley, Holly (David) Lajoie and Heather Meredith. Sadly, she lost three children to cancer: Vicki (Deken) Schmidt in 2015, Howard (Dawn) Dykeman in 2020 and Scott (Candi) Blakeley in 2022. She is also survived by her grandchildren Felicity, Betsy (Dennis), Kayte (Rob), Andrew (Anna), Blakeley (Michael), Benjamin, Brielle and Rachael; great-grandchildren Dylan, Blakeley, Taylor, Violet and Salvatore, whose sister Anabelle passed away at age 7 from cancer. Ruth Anne was also “Grammy” to Kiri, Victor, Sadie, Brooklyn, Lindsey, Jake and Skylar, as well as a special aunt to many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of her life will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at the First Congregational Church, 200 Main Street, Wellfleet. Burial at Oakdale Cemetery will be private. Ruth Anne wanted a fun farewell, so following the service, please join us for an afternoon of socializing, music and dancing at Preservation Hall, 335 Main Street, Wellfleet.

If you wish to make a donation in her memory, please consider the First Congregational Church of Wellfleet, P.O. Box 1300, Wellfleet, MA 02667 or the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, P.O. Box 3595, Boston, MA 02241.