Ruth C. Felker passed away peacefully at her home in Frisco, Texas on September 10, 2024. She was born on August 25, 1933, to Helen Marie (Tully) and Frank William Crimp in Milton, Massachusetts. She attended public school in Milton but took a year off during World War II between her 7th and 8th grade to travel with her family to Germany where her dad was serving in the US Army. Ruth filled her time with German lessons, piano lessons, horseback riding, and traveling to many countries throughout Europe.
Ruth and her family returned to the United States in 1946. Upon completion of high school, Ruth attended Colby Jr. College in New London, New Hampshire, where she received her associate’s degree in Secretarial Sciences in 1954. After graduation, she joined the advertising firm of Harold Cabot in Boston as a secretary to the president. After five years, she was ready for something more exciting and moved to the Big Apple, New York City, where she joined Hicks & Greist Advertising as the secretary to their president.
On a vacation trip to Mexico City, she met Henry W. “Ty” Felker, the man she subsequently married in January 1962. A year later, their first child, Anthony “Tony” Michael, was born followed two years later by their daughter, Patricia “Patty” Lourdes McCormick. Ruth also became a stepmother to Molly Felker de Galindez and James Murfin Felker who had lost their mother to cancer a few years previously.
In late 1974, Ruth and the family moved from Mexico to New Braunfels, Texas, continuing her secretarial career at Carl Fox Insurance Company and The Porter Company. Her longest career stint was with Thermon Manufacturing in San Marcos where she was an executive secretary for almost 20 years. In Ruth’s retirement years, she enjoyed volunteering at the New Braunfels Public Library and bowling twice a week in the senior leagues until she was 86 years old when businesses were shut down due to COVID. She also had a life-long love of reading and would always be seen carrying a book in progress from her own extensive home library. In October 2020, she moved to Frisco, TX to be closer to Tony during her later years.
Ruth is survived by her son, Tony Felker of Frisco, Texas; her daughter, Patty McCormick and her husband, Greg of Bend, Oregon; her stepchildren, James M. Felker and his wife, Sheila of Hillsborough, California, Molly Felker de Galindez and her husband, Antonio of Mexico City, Mexico; five grandchildren, Laura McCormick, Kyle McCormick, Gabriela Galindez, Leticia Galindez, Isabel Galindez; and five great grandchildren.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Helen and Frank Crimp; her brother, Frank W. Crimp Jr; and her sister, Helen Marie Fisher.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Hope Fellowship Frisco East, 9950 Rolater Rd, Frisco, Texas 75035, on Saturday, October 12th, beginning at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ruth’s honor to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, https://www.stjude.org/ or to a charity of your choice.