Mrs. Ruth Irene Akins

Mrs. Ruth Irene Akins, 98, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, passed away on July 14, 2026. Born August 28, 1927, Ruth’s life was a steady testament to generosity of spirit, clear-eyed honesty, and a kindness that made room for everyone. She carried herself with wisdom and purpose, offering compassion not as a grand gesture, but as a daily way of being.

Ruth grew up and attended school in Mullens, WV, graduating high school in 1946. Those early years helped shape a woman who would become, to many, quietly inspirational, someone whose care for others was practical, unwavering, and deeply selfless.

In one of the most memorable examples of her wholehearted devotion to children and community, Ruth was instrumental in starting a bus service for the students at Orange Grove Center. She stood on the street corner holding a sign asking for donations to buy a bus. When she had enough money, she bought the bus and became their bus driver. She believed all children should be able to learn, even if it's just learning that they are loved. In that belief lived the clearest picture of who Ruth was generous, compassionate, and determined to do what was right.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Sidney Carl Akins, 2 daughters, Doreen Blevins and Linda Morris and a son, Stanley Blevins, and all her siblings. Left behind to cherish her life are her two children, Jimmy Blevins and Kimberly Blevins, as well as grandchildren, great grandchildren, and her great-great grandchildren.

Most of Ruth’s time was spent with her family. She loved having everyone together for fun, food, and much laughter—creating the kind of welcome that lingered long after the meal was done, and the kind of closeness that made ordinary days feel like celebrations.

She was also very involved in her church, Highland Park Baptist and then Church of the Highlands, volunteering at Orange Grove Center, and competing in a bowling league. In each place she served and belonged, Ruth’s warm-hearted nature and steady integrity were evident, offered freely, without pretense, and with an encouraging grace that lifted others.

Ruth was a loving person who treated everyone with kindness and acceptance. She believed that God made every person, they are important, and should be treated as such. That conviction; simple, sincere, and lived out became her legacy, and it remains a lasting gift to those who knew her.

A Celebration of Ruth's Life will be held on Saturday July 18, 2026, at 2pm in the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home. The family will receive friends on Friday July 17, 2026, from 5pm to 7pm and again prior to the service beginning at 10am on Saturday. She will be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband, Sidney Carl in the Hamilton Memorial Gardens.

The family is extremely grateful for the nursing staff at NHC of Chattanooga and Hospice of Chattanooga for the care they administered to our loved one.

Please share your thoughts and memories of Ruth at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/east-ridge-tn/ruth-akins-12967339

Chattanooga Funeral Home East Chapel has been entrusted with her arrangements.