We now say farewell to Capt. William Weaver Ruth, our loving father, grandfather, husband, and friend. Bill was born March 12, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama; he died June 23, 2015 at his home in Vacaville, California from complications of kidney disease.
He was preceded in death by his father, Samuel Edward Ruth, his mother, Laura Sparks Ruth, and brother, Samuel Owen Ruth.
He is survived by those he loved the most: his “queen” of 59 years, Anne Spinks Ruth; sons Mark (Jerris) and Scott (Natalia); daughter, Rebecca (Michael); four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Bill was raised in Florence, Alabama, and it speaks to his innate optimism that despite the privations of the depression era and the premature death of his father when he was only 11-years-old, Bill always remembered his childhood as a happy one. He maintained a lifelong affection for Florence and for all his childhood friends. He attended Coffee High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in commercial art from Auburn University, and was the president of his Theta Xi fraternity chapter. After graduating, he married Anne Spinks and discovered a love of flying in the U.S. Air Force. They eventually settled down in Vacaville, California, and he transitioned into a career in commercial aviation with American Airlines. Bill’s boyish enthusiasm and genuine love for his work endeared him to everyone he knew. An adventurous and tireless explorer, Bill traveled the world and made friends everywhere he went. He was involved in the Vacaville community and active in the Rotary Club. He was an artist, a lover of history, a teacher, a poet, and an eternal optimist. He will always be remembered for his strength of character, his sweet nature, and his unquenchable zest for life.
