Ruth A. Gerringer

On the 21st of November 2020, Ruth Anderson Gerringer passed away after a long and fruitful life. Ruth was born in Charlottesville, VA to Charles and Susan Anderson on January 3,1928. Her Father went to work for Virginia Power in 1922, and moved the entire family to Hampton in 1933, after assuming the position of Supervisor of the Hampton Power Station. Ruth attended Wythe Elementary School and Hampton High School, graduating with the Class of 1945. Until recently, she was still able to sing and remember all of the words to the Crabbers fight song. Ruth became a sister to Beverly at the age of 18. She then attended James Madison College from 1945-1947, gaining an Associates Degree. Ruth married Allen Harper Gerringer in 1948. With her marriage to Harper, she gained four new brothers and sisters-in-law. After being an only child for so long, she had gained a whole new family. Holidays and vacations were often spent with this large beautiful family… aunts, uncles, and cousins. Vacations were memorable and enjoyed by the entire family, as everyone was in tow to Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks. She had the good fortune to have her parents close by, who helped Ruth in every way possible. She joined the Post-WW2 workforce as a Secretary in US Continental Army Headquarters at Fort Monroe from 1949-1955. Ruth then became a Mom and was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mother, raising two boys, Charlie and Mark into men. In 1973, Ruth decided to go back to work as a Secretary in Fighter Operations Headquarters at Langley Field. It was a job she loved, as she fit right in with the pilots and their shenanigans. They loved her, and she could give it right back to them, as good as she got. One very memorable occasion, was when Ruth’s father took the entire family to Bogota, Colombia. At that time, Charlie Anderson was in charge of building a new electrical power plant for the Government of Colombia, and it afforded the opportunity for a magnificent trip in 1970. Upon her retirement in 1990, Ruth and Harper again took up traveling and seeing the world, including Europe and the Middle East. As for leisure, Ruth enjoyed needlework in her spare time, and for years, she participated in a women’s bowling league at the Circle Lanes in Hampton. Unfortunately, as the years took their toll, Ruth had to give away her sky-blue, sparkling bowling ball. Ruth adored her three grandchildren and loved spending time with and spoiling them, as grandparents do. She was also a great-grandmother to two beautiful girls. Ruth and Harper moved into the Chesapeake Retirement Home in 2004, and both lived there until the end of their lives. Ruth was fortunate to have her son, Mark move back to Virginia. He'd often visit, along with his brother, Charlie and they'd have lunch with her. Mark would bring her to his home and drive her around the area that she so loved; they'd had a lot of laughs and teased each other endlessly. Ruth Anderson Gerringer is survived by her sister, Beverly Anderson Clement; sons, Mark and Charlie Gerringer; grandchildren, Marcus Gerringer, Sara Gerringer Demeria and Andy Gerringer; and her great-granddaughters, Harper and Helen Demeria. A Celebration of Life will be held later in the year when the Covid-19 crisis abates.