Ruth Kilpatrick Pearce
Raised in Tribute:
$1357.00Ruth Kilpatrick Pearce, of Gainesville, Georgia, age 82, died peacefully on October 20 after spending her final week surrounded by her loving husband of 60 years, Dudley "Jerry" Pearce, their children and grandchildren, and her sister and brother-in-law. She was the daughter of George and Louise Kilpatrick of Atlanta, Georgia. She is survived by her husband and their children: Steve (Melissa) Pearce of Niceville, Florida, and Sharon Pearce (Todd) Nizialek of Gainesville, Georgia, and four adored grandchildren; sister June Kilpatrick (Brooks) Metts; and beloved brothers- and sister-in-law, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Wallace Kilpatrick.
Ruth was graduated from Southwest High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and Mercer University. She always made an effort to keep in touch with the many friends she made through the years, particularly her college friends who kept a chain letter passing between them from their time in school to this day.
The first date Ruth went on with the love of her life, Jerry Pearce, came about when she stepped in as a replacement for his original date one evening at Mercer University. He was graduated a year ahead of her, and when her degree was completed, they were married in June 1960.
After marriage, Ruth worked for the Veterans' Administration in various capacities in Montgomery and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, while Jerry pursued his master’s degree. The couple moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, when Jerry was employed by DuPont. The young couple started their family and Ruth became a devoted mother, spending time sewing outfits for her offspring and baking special treats for festive occasions. A taffy pull was one of her favorite activities, and when she brought out her huge Tupperware container full of homemade caramel corn, everyone came running.
Her love of nature was passed to her from her mother, and she dedicated many hours to growing flowers and vegetables at the several homes she had in Chattanooga and Hixson, Tennessee. Her extended family was the focus of her activities, with many vacations and holidays were shared with a wide array of relations. Family history and traditions were very important to Ruth, and she worked hard to pass them down to the next generations.
Ruth enjoyed camping with her family, taking a classic family summer vacation cross country to California when her children were school aged. Extended family was involved in most of the adventures, and the story about the bear in the dumpster who didn’t appreciate unfinished hot cocoa being poured on his head has been told at many a family gathering.
Ruth’s defining characteristic has to be her unwavering faith in a loving God. She was always an active volunteer in any congregation lucky enough to have her as a member. She loved singing in the choir and she took leadership roles in the church women’s organizations of the Presbyterian Church US.
In the mid-1980s Ruth moved to Arnoldsville, Georgia, when her husband’s job with DuPont moved them there. This new location gave her more room to garden, more room to entertain guests, and more friendly animals to care for. She had many pets over the years, and every animal who came her way got a nice scratch behind the ears.
Her creativity, generosity, and hospitality blessed many people over the years, both at home and abroad. Her support of various international missions and their representatives brought many new friends to her home, and gave her some adventures in Singapore.
The past two decades held many struggles for Ruth. She stayed as fully active as humanly possible, and so optimistic about the future that she amazed everyone. She participated in research studies on Parkinson’s Disease and led support groups, helping others to cope with the condition she herself was facing. Her hope was that knowledge could be gained from her situation, and that someday no one will have to experience the challenges she gracefully confronted every morning.
If you count a person’s value by the people they’ve touched and how they’re regarded by others, Ruth led a priceless life. A rousing game of Phase 10 won’t be the same without her, and we have to find another way to identify mystery plants now that she isn’t here to name them for us. But we will hold her twinkling blue eyes in our memories, the way her whole face would crinkle up when she smiled, and her unconditional love for her God, her family, her friends, and her community.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Ruth Kilpatrick Pearce’s Memorial Service
When: Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1pm
Where: Bald Ridge Chapel 1850 Bald Ridge Marina Road Cumming GA 30041
Bald Ridge Chapel is located just inside of Bald Ridge Marina. This will be an outdoor service so please dress accordingly. Limited seating is provided, but if you would like to bring a camp chair to further social distance, it is encouraged. Mom loved you and we do too; please wear a mask.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. The Foundation is the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, with more than $800 million in high-impact research funded to date.
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