Ruth C. Antrim—8/7/2023

It’s with great sadness that we share that Ruth C Antrim, age 65, passed away peacefully in hospice care on August 7^th.  She was the daughter of the late Harry D and Josephine Antrim of East Falls, and is survived by her sister Loraine and brother Harry (Caroline).

Ruth had a very active and amazing history. After graduating Girls High School in Phila, she attended Jefferson School of Nursing, Penn State, and Montana State University where she received a Master’s in Molecular Biology with a minor in Botany. 

Ruth was a nurse for many years, but after vacationing in Yellowstone, she stayed in the area, changed direction and completed her graduate studies. She eventually worked for the Dept of Interior as a park ranger and researcher, traveling to most of our National Parks. She patrolled for poachers (in uniform with a sidearm!), was a dispatcher during the worst forest fire in Yellowstone’s history, and even dealt with drunk and rowdy campers. As a researcher, she spent 6 months of the year hiking into isolated wilderness areas, collecting plant samples, sometimes trekking for 3 days into some of the most uninhabited, remote regions of the Parks. She slept under the stars, drank from glacier lakes, and her adventures included encounters with wolves, cougars, moose, elk and grizzlies! When not in the backwoods, she spent time in a lab analyzing the DNA of the National Park’s plants. She was a hiker, a conservationist, an animal lover, and a scientist.

Ruth was also the gentlest soul who cared more about others than herself. Constantly giving to those in need, she was the definition of humanity. She spent her time supporting those around her, whether they were family, friends, or strangers. Her vocation, it seems, was to care.  She was smart, curious, kind, generous, sometimes impish, and always thoughtful, in every sense of the word. She had very eclectic tastes in music, art, food and literature.  She loved to eat at gourmet restaurants and try exotic foods. She was a voracious reader, but sadly, that came to an end when she lost her eyesight in her 40’s. Yet, she never complained about her situation. She accepted it totally, and became a very independent blind person who always saw her blindness as a challenge, not an encumbrance. When asked if she ever thought, “why me?” She would reply with a very Zen-like answer: “Why NOT me; I can take it.”  Even when blind, she showed her humanity. She nursed her father and mother through years of illness despite her handicap. She was an avid churchgoer and a devoted member of the St. Bridget’s congregation; her faith helped sustain her in her darkest hours. May the road rise up to meet you, Ruth, and may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Visitation at St. Bridget Church at 10 o’clock on Friday, August 18th, followed by her Funeral Mass at 11.

Donations in Ruthie’s memory may be given to the St. Bridget Memorial Fund.