KINGSPORT — Margaret Ruth Ware Shanks, 89, of Kingsport, passed away Sunday at Trinity Elms Assisted Living in Clemmons, N.C.
She was born in Greeneville.
She moved to Kingsport in 1954.
Ruth retired from JCPenney and was a member of Crossroads United Methodist Church.
She was active with the Senior Olympics and held several records.
Ruth enjoyed gardening, beach combing and spending time with her family.
She was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her parents: Isaac Jerome and Effie Gay Bowman Ware; and her husband of 62 years: John Thurman Shanks.
Ruth is survived by her son: David L. Shanks (Brenda) of Lewisville, N.C.; a daughter: Ann Shanks Gammon (Larry Faulkner) of Woodstock, Ga.; a brother: E.V. Bowman (Imogene); four grandchildren: Christine Hodakowski (Jeff), Bryan Shanks (Lisa Henry), Mark Shanks (Tracey) and Matt Gammon (Ashley); five great-grandchildren: Justin and Rachel Hodakowski, Carter Shanks and Ashton and Mason Gammon; a brother-in-law: Hursel Shanks (Betsy); and a sister-in-law: Maxie Shanks and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service for Margaret Ruth Ware Shanks will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the J. Wayne Hamilton Memorial Chapel at Oak Hill Funeral Home with the Rev. H. Rae Mullins officiating. The family will receive friends following the service in the funeral home chapel.
A private committal and entombment service will be held Sunday at Oak Hill Memorial Park.
Honorary pallbearers are Eugene Yerke, Hal Newman, Jeff Newman, Calvin Powers, Jim Montgomery, Steve Jones, James Baines, Bill Absher and John Willis.
Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to Crossroads United Methodist Church, 200 Bays Cove Trail, Kingsport, TN 37660 or the Alzheimer’s Association, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, N.C. 28215, www.alz.org.
An online guest registry may be signed at www.OakHillFH.com.
Source: Greeneville Sun, The (TN) – Thursday, October 23, 2014
