Ruth Margaret Murch Gilpatrick Lane “Ruthie”, 79, of Tara Golf and Country Club, Bradenton, Fla., passed away peacefully Sept. 13 from complications of Alzheimer’s.
Ruth was born in Augusta Jan. 4, 1932 where she lived until moving to Kennebunk. After 25 years she moved to East Winthrop and then to Bradenton, Fla.
Ruth graduated from Cony High School class of 1950 and attended Husson College in Bangor. During her childhood she summered with her parents on her beloved Cobboseecontee Lake and Pemaquid Point. She made annual visits to the Snell Farm and Orchards in Buxton with her cousin and life long friend, Mary Snell Palmer, a noted teacher and author. Ruth attended several notable Maine summer camps as a child and then as a young adult continued her summer experience serving as Waterfront Director at Camp KV and Camp T-Ledge. Ruth worked as State Manager for Beacon Way Fabrics, as Children’s Department Manager at Sears Roebuck and then for over 25 years as a Realtor with The Lane Associates earning professional designations of Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) and as a Charter Member of the Maine Certified Residential Specialists (CRS). Ruth was particularly proud to have built and sold nearly 30 single-family homes with her first husband Waldo E. Gilpatrick and then with her husband John W. Lane. Jr.
She was a member for many years of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church where she was a soprano with the Choir. Ruth had many leading roles with the Augusta Players. She loved best the role of Gooch when the players performed South Pacific. Ruth became an accomplished artist adopting the Mary Cassatt style creating a portrait of each of her children. Her best known work is that of an adaptation of Norman Rockwell’s Yankee Doodle Dandy and several works influenced by Andrew Wyeth. She wrote illustrated short stories for her grandchildren and a full featured novel inspired by the news of a Realtor murdered by a real estate client; perhaps to be published posthumously.
Ruth is predeceased by her father, Charles S. Murch; mother, Asenath Tozier Murch; and brothers, John R. Murch DDS and Charles Edward Murch.
She is survived by her husband, John W. Lane Jr. of Bradenton, Fla.; children, Sharon G. Morrill and husband Leigh of Damariscotta Mills, Robin G. Thomas of South Portland, Thomas E. Gilpatrick and wife Jeanne of Bar Harbor and Lynn G. Bernier and husband Bruce of Allentown, Penn.; grandchildren, Ryan Morrill of Gridwood, Alas., Senath Morrill of Farmington, Aubin Thomas of Portland, Marina and Lyle Gilpatrick of Bar Harbor, and Paige and Bryn Bernier of Allentown, Penn.; and great-grandson, Gavin O’Donnell of No. Yarmouth; stepchildren, Margaret K. Mason of Kennebunk, John W. Lane III of Bradenton, Fla. and Rebecca M. Lane of Vassalboro; and step grandchildren, Benjamin M. Mason, Mathew L. Mason of Kennebunk and Nicholas L. Young of Vassalboro.
Memorial reception will be held in the Augusta area in early November.
In lieu of flowers, Ruth expressed her wish that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.
