Ruth D. Cooley

Ruth Dowds Cooley passed away peacefully in Seattle, Washington on January 21, 2017 at age 91. Ruth was born in Bath, Maine in 1925 and was raised in Montclair, New Jersey. Her father, Sam Clarke Dowds, was a physician and her mother, Dorothy Potter Dowds, a nurse. She moved to the Puget Sound region in 1952 with her 5-year old son John, where she met James William Cooley, whom she married in 1955. They made their home on the Eastside, where their daughter Sarah was born in 1957.

Ruth worked as a dental assistant and receptionist when she first arrived in Seattle, and later in the cosmetics departments at Frederick & Nelson and Nordstrom. She was primarily a homemaker during her married life. She always supported her children’s various activities, and when her grandchildren arrived, theirs as well. She was an avid cook, loved to bake and especially enjoyed preparing and hosting fancy family dinners. Ruth was also very physically active and spent many mornings at the YMCA with her workout buddies.

Ruth had an amazingly magnetic personality and wonderful sense of humor that drew people to her and inspired deep friendships and loyalty. Her kindness, generosity, and genuine wisdom always made you feel like the center of the universe in her presence. Passionate about politics and current events, she loved discussing the topics of the day. She was also an avid sports fan, crazy about baseball and football, and an awful lot of fun to watch a game with.

She was preceded in death by her son John and her husband Jim. She is survived by her daughter Sarah Cooley and son-in-law Bruce Rehm, grandchildren Christine Bloomfield and Tim Cooley, and great-grandchildren Bailey Bloomfield, Keean Bloomfield, John Cooley, Noah Cooley and Levi Cooley.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org) or a charity of your choice.

Arrangements entrusted to Bleitz Funeral Home of Seattle, Washington.