Mary Ellen Carruthers

Mary Ellen Carruthers, of the Orlando Lutheran Towers, passed away on October 12, 2010. She was 86 years old. Mary Ellen was born at Fort Benning Georgia, the daughter of Lt. Thomas and Mary Hoy. She and her twin brothers, Tom and Jim, traveled with their parents to the Phillippines in the 30’s and were on the last ship to leave there prior to the Japanese invasion. During World War II her father was assigned duty in Europe, as was brother Jim, a waist gunner in B-17’s, who was killed in a bombing raid over Germany. She and her mother went to Chicago where she received her nurses training in the Little Company of Mary Hospital. Her father suffered a heart attack while in Europe, retired and the family settled in Santa Barbara, CA, where she enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps. Her brother Tom enlisted in the Army, rose to the rank of Colonel and retired to Mt. Pleasant, SC where he died in July 2007.

Her first assignment was to Brooke Army General Hospital in San Antonio, then transferred to the Air Force for Flight Nurse training. While in San Antonio she met Warren and they were married at The Old Mission in Santa Barbara, CA in May of 1951.

She spent many a weary hour attending to the wounded being AirEvaced back from Far East Hospitals during the Korean conflict. They would pick up patients usually in Tokyo, refuel at Wake Island and on to Hickam AFB in Hawaii. These patients were, as a rule, then flown back to Travis AFB, CA and then on to other military hospitals near the patient’s home.

Mary Ellen resigned from the Air Force and joined Warren in assignments to several stateside bases and to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, their most enjoyable tour, although Warren was sent to Vietnam from there. While there she was selected to manage the Kadena Officer’s Wives’ Club Gift Shop, an emporium doing a million dollars a year business in providing excellent choices in Far Eastern jewelry and clothing, and it was visited by hundreds of military and civilian personnel going to and from the Vietnam theater. After Warren’s tour in Vietnam they were transferred to Charleston AFB followed by retirement to Orlando and Rio Pinar Country Club Estates in 1974. They were members of Rio Pinar Country Club for 25 years where Mary Ellen was President of both the Ladies Social Board and Women’s Golf Committee. She worked as a volunteer at the Disney Golf Tournaments for 28 years and was Chairman of the Copy/Scoring Committee.

Mary Ellen never met a stranger and her greatest attribute was that warm, friendly smile that lit up her whole face and you knew it came from the heart. Oh, it will be missed. She is survived by her husband Warren, sister-in-law May Hoy of Mt. Clemens, SC and nieces and nephews in the Carolinas and California and by a host of friends she made wherever they were stationed.

A Memorial Mass for Mary Ellen, a Catholic all her life, will be held at the Chapel in the Lutheran Towers, Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 2:00pm. (Parking arranged in the lot off of Lake Ave. to the east of the Commons). Interment will be in the Florida National Cemetery at Bushnell, Florida. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Orlando Lutheran Towers Foundation, 300 E. Church Street, Orlando, FL 32801, or to your favorite charity. Arrangements under the direction of the Carey Hand Colonial Funeral, Orlando. On-line condolences may be offered at www.careyhandcolonialfh.com

God-speed my dear