Ruth Stewart

AIKEN - Ruth Olivia Myers Stewart went to heaven at 6:30 pm on January 8th. A memorial service will be held at St. John’s United Methodist Church on Thursday, January 16th at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow at Newberry Hall, 117 Newberry St SW, Aiken, SC 29801. Ruth was born in Florence, SC on August 29, 1924. She grew up in Scranton, SC. She attended Spartanburg Junior College and then Winthrop College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Home Economics. Ruth was very athletic during her college years, and played on the basketball team at Winthrop. She met the love of her life, James Edward Stewart, while she was teaching in Westminister, SC. They were married on June 1, 1947. She and Jimmy moved to Aiken in 1951, where they raised their 4 children, Carol McNulta (Mac), Jim Stewart (Sharon), Joy Stewart, and Mary Ann Landes (Horst). Ruth was preceded in death by Joy. She was very active in her church, and belonged to many civic clubs and organizations. Her social calendar was always full. She also enjoyed playing golf and was very proud every time she “broke a hundred”. She and Jimmy traveled extensively, visiting numerous countries and making many friends around the world. Her favorite place on this earth was Edisto Beach where she and Jimmy spent their summers for over 40 years. She was easily spotted there, riding her bright yellow bicycle with the “2 Fast 4 You” license plate, which was a gift from her friends at the Edisto Island Yacht Club on her 80th birthday. She was known for her colorful attire and most of her friends know that her favorite color was hot pink. She lit up the room with her smile. She was an avid Clemson fan and enjoyed the games on TV when she was no longer able to attend in person. In addition to her children, Ruth dearly loved her grandchildren - Josh Stewart (Erin), Whitten Chavis, Nathan Stewart (Sabrina), Chris Rubin and David Rubin (Heather). She was preceded in death by Chris. She also adored her great-grandchildren – Alex Rubin, Olivia Chavis, and Parks Stewart - and they adored their “Grandma Great”. She loved life and was an inspiration to all who crossed her path. She will be immensely missed by her family and her many friends; but she had a long full life and now she is in heaven where she will be forever young. The family would like to thank the wonderful people at Anchor Health and Rehab and the Right at Home staff for helping them care for Ruth for the past 1 1/2 years; and the good doctors and nurses on CV3 at University Hospital for their outstanding care during her recent illness. They insured that she made a comfortable, peaceful exit as her time on earth came to an end. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the St. John’s United Methodist Church Building Fund, 104 Newberry St., NW, Aiken, SC 29801. SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC Ruth’s online guest book may be signed at www.shellhousefuneralhome.com To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ruth Stewart, please visit our flower store.