Adeline “Ruth” Cooper Simeone passed peacefully on January 17, 2026, at the age of 99. Born in Colorado City in West Texas, she belonged to a generation tempered by the Great Depression and called to adulthood in the shadow of World War II. From dust storms and ration books she learned resilience; from wartime she learned duty and resourcefulness. These early hardships became the quiet scaffolding of her character — steady, stoic, and strong.
A nurse by calling, Ruth practiced care in the manner of her era: without fuss, without praise, and always with purpose. She married Tony, her husband of 75 years, and together they built a life together in Texas, Ohio, California and finally, Huntsville AL, raising five children with a humble lifestyle. True to her Texan roots, Ruth was a private soul and something of a loner, content to stand apart from crowds and stay closer to the things she loved. Books kept her company; gardens rewarded her patience; and knitting gave her hands a rhythm that mirrored her temperament — quiet, thoughtful, and deliberate. She asked for little, but expected honesty, and she found meaning in the simple rituals of home.
Ruth was predeceased by her son, Leonard Simeone and her husband, Tony. She is survived by her children, Mary Hutto (Lamar), Nancy Sheppard, Carmella Shook, and Louis Simeone. She leaves behind nine grandchildren, Jennie Hutto Smith, Ben Hutto, Raymond Sheppard Jr., Adam Sheppard, Carmella Whitehead, Micah Shook, Anthony Simeone, Joseph Simeone, and Mary Kathleen Lange; seventeen great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren — each of whom carry forward traces of her thrift, endurance, loyalty, and quiet courage.
Visitation will be Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home followed by a service at 2:00 p.m. Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens.
Ruth’s life bore witness to a vanishing generation whose hardships forged character and whose perseverance made room for others to flourish. She filled her life with dignity, restraint, and an unsentimental kind of love. She lived as she wished — quietly, faithfully, and on her own terms — and the world is gentler for her having passed through it.
