Ruth Blair Greenwood's Obituary
Ruth Blair Greenwood, 96, died on October 16, 2021, at Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville, Arkansas. A Fayetteville resident since 1983, she was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 10, 1925, the daughter and fourth child of Ivan Sidney and Florence Baker Blair. Ruth’s father and family built a cabin on an island in McGregor Bay in Northern Ontario, a place of relaxation and recreation for three generations. It is Ruth’s beloved “Bay”. An accomplished piano player, music was always an important part of her life. Ruth attended Wayne State and Madonna College in the Detroit area in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1967, she received a Bachelor of Science in Education degree at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. She received a Master’s in Education degree at Drake in 1978. Her teaching experience included six years in the elementary classroom and ten years as resource teacher in the Urbandale Schools, Urbandale, Iowa. Her love of learning was lifelong, including many Elderhostel trips. She was calm, patient, and flexible – a loving and supportive mother and wife. Ruth lived her faith in her daily life and in church, sharing her time, talents, and treasure.
Survivors include her son Patrick (Sandra) Greenwood of Owatonna, Minnesota; daughter Ann Greenwood of Bentonville, Arkansas; daughter Mary (Vasant) Bhardwaj of Richland, Washington; and son Bruce (Deon) Greenwood of Gresham, Oregon; fourteen grandchildren; and nineteen great grandchildren. Ruth was the last of her generation in our family. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and husband of almost seventy years, Perry Lloyd Greenwood.
An ‘online only’ memorial service will be held on October 30 at 3:00PM Central time. Please contact Bruce/Pat/Ann/Mary for details.
The family requests memorials be made to Butterfield Trail Village or the Salvation Army, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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