Ruth C. Pence

Ruth C. Pence was born August 2, 1926 in Katonah, NY to David and Isabel (Lewis) Casler and died on July 15, 2024 at Kirkland Village in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Ruth was raised in Millbrook, New York on a private estate where her father was the head caretaker. She attended Elmira College on a scholarship and graduated in 1948 with a double major Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Art. After graduation she married Dr. Thomas B. Johnson III and settled with him near his family in Towanda, Pennsylvania where he established a private medical practice as a family doctor. During their thirty-one-year marriage, she and Tom raised three children and spent many happy occasions with a core group of friends. Ruth was actively engaged in community service. She volunteered with the United Fund, the Red Cross, was a Girl Scout troop leader, and taught church school for Middle School boys. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Towanda where she spent thirty years as an alto in the choir. Ruth was the local coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund for many years, organizing summer stays with county families for low-income New York City children. She served as a District School Board Director. She was a member of the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the AAUW, and the Wednesday Club, a monthly gathering of women who rotated in giving book presentations and reviews. Ruth was the first woman elected to the Board of Directors of the Towanda Country Club. Tom passed away in 1979. Ruth had a lifelong love of sports. She was the table tennis champion at Elmira College where she also played soccer and field hockey. She often joined her kids’ softball games to show them how to hit home runs. She continued to hone her table tennis skills by successfully challenging all ages of family and family friends during holiday tournaments. Ruth was certified in water safety and lifesaving, and acted as lifeguard for all the local kids who swam in her family pool. In college she started playing golf at the Mark Twain Country Club and continued playing for the next 62 years, until back surgery interfered with her swing. Ruth moved to Naples, Florida in 1986 with her second husband, businessman Herman Rynveld, and joined the Country Club of Naples where she served two terms on the Board of Directors. She had her first hole-in-one there when she was 70 years old. She also joined the First Presbyterian Church of Naples and sang in the choir. Herman was a lifelong boatman so he and Ruth spent summers sailing in Long Island Sound and along the northeastern coast of the U.S. After Herman’s death in 1993, she married fellow Country Club of Naples member Jim Pence and spent the next fifteen years either in golf shorts or “going–to-church” clothes. Jim passed away in 2011. In 2013 Ruth moved to Kirkland Village, a Presbyterian Senior Living community in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. During her eleven-year residence there, she enjoyed many friendships with residents and staff. Ruth is survived by her three children, Cynthia Boyer (David), Thomas Johnson (Wendy), and Elizabeth Johnson (Russell), and grandchildren Christine Scordato (Dave), Mali Johnson (Ari), Kathryn McBeth (Joe), and great grandchildren Charlotte, Matthew, Joy, Liam, and Atlas. She is also survived by nieces and nephews Lynn Johnson, Bill Johnson, Karen Johnson, and Leigh Johnson, and great nieces and nephews Jay Watkins, Megan Culp, Casey Johnson, Eamon Wright and Rae Wright. Ruth was predeceased by her older brother Bob and infant daughter Marian. Ruth was a kind, generous, and patient woman. She was a happy woman deeply tethered in her Christian faith. She loved her family, her friends, and her golden retriever Shilo. A private family service will be held at Maryott-Bowen Funeral Home in Towanda, Pennsylvania. Memorial contributions in Ruth’s name may be made to the Elmira College Scholarship Fund, One Park Place, Elmira, NY 14901, https://www.elmira.edu. Memories and condolences may be expressed by visiting www.bowenfuneralhomes.com.

Ruth C. Pence

July 15, 2024

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Ruth C. Pence

July 15, 2024

365 Days of Grief Support

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