Ruth T. Penfield
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Ruth Till Penfield of Stewartstown, NH, died peacefully at the Coos County Nursing Home, on June 11, 2018. She was 98 years of age.
Ruth was born Dec. 23, 1919, to Frank and Elizabeth Till, in East Orange, NJ. She married Robert Walsh Penfield Sept. 21, 1940. After the war, they lived in the Hartford, CT area and parented 2 daughters and 1 son.
In 1954, Ruth and Bob settled in North Stonington, CT. Her passion became her private school, Little Red Horse Montessori Nursery School. Ruth earned Montessori certification from the St. Nicholas Training Centre in London. She also completed an intensive work study at Marymount College in New York City.
Ruth was involved in the North Stonington Congregational Church serving as Superintendent of the Church School, organizing the original Kinderkirk program and was director of Christian Education. She served on the local School and Nursing Boards and was a Girl Scout Leader. She was involved with the Westerly YMCA Junior Leaders Program and the local Garden Club. Ruth and family spent summers on Martha's Vineyard where they owned a guest house and operated the snack bar at Vineyard Haven's Yacht Club.
Upon retiring, she spent her time between Martha's Vineyard, MA; Mystic, CT and Stewartstown, NH. She resided in Stewartstown with Allen and Joan Coats during her final years.
Ruth was predeceased by her husband (Robert), her parents (Frank and Elizabeth Till), a twin sister (Gladys), a son-in-law (Kai), and a grandson (Michael). She is survived by her three children: Gail Dawley-Knight of Okeechobee, FL; Joan Coats and her husband, Allen, of Stewartstown, NH and Robert Penfield and his partner, Jen, of Preston, CT.
Ruth leaves 6 grandchildren (Lisa, Jason (Melissa), Robert (Jillian), Nellie (Anthony), Joshua (Kimmie), Alysia (Jeremy) and 12 great-grandchildren (Della, Grace, Alexander, Gabriel, Hope, Nora, Adelaide, Anthony, Jameson, Cooper, Remy, Streeter), along with numerous nephews and nieces.
There will be a graveside service at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic, CT, on Sat., June 16, at 2 P.M.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in Ruth's memory may be made to the Coos County Nursing Home, Activities Fund, P.O. Box 10, W. Stewartstown, NH 03597.
Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsnewman.com