Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Ruth Rickers Klemmer (1926-2018)

Ruth was born August 29, 1926 in Rochester, NY to Johanna and Paul Rickers. Ruth earned a BA with honors from the University of Rochester and became a certified Occupational Therapist at the University of Pennsylvania. She served in the U.S. Army as an occupational therapist, retiring at the rank of Captain in 1955.

Ruth met and married her husband, Edmund T. Klemmer, at Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, DC while she was working at Walter Reed Army Hospital. She enjoyed tennis, skiing and travelling as a family.

She retired from her professional career to care for her family, but kept abreast of advances in Occupational Therapy through volunteer work. Throughout her life she served in many volunteer capacities including active participation in: several chapters of the League of Women Voters; the American Association of University Women; the United Nations Association, Wake County, NC, Chapter; Friends of Residents in Long Term Care, at Springmoor; as well as many church boards and Parent Teacher Organizations.

Ruth was a Master Gardener whose green thumb propagated a great abundance of plants and cuttings that she enjoyed sharing. She enjoyed arts, crafts, sewing and needlework of all kinds, but she especially enjoyed painting and taking classes to improve her skills, so that she could capture the beauty around her.

Ruth was preceded in death by her brother Leslie Rickers, and her son Paul Edmund Klemmer. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Edmund; daughter, Karen Klemmer Brown and her husband Sanford Brown of Bridgewater, NJ; granddaughter Kimberly Ruth Brown of Black Mountain, NC; grandson Daniel Walter Brown of Reston, VA; and grandson Keith Edmund Brown of Bridgewater, NJ.



A memorial service for Ruth was held at Community UCC on April 28, 2018. The service (complete except for hymns and transitions) is available in two parts below.
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Part 1 (33 min.)


Filmed by Lavon Page
Part 2 (22 min.)

Filmed by Lavon Page