St Mary's Parish Church was full to overflowing with over 300 attending the service to commemorate the life of Ruth who died on the 9th April after a seven and a half year battle against cancer. Ruth lived most of her life in the parish, initially in Bexmoor Way and latterly in Lychpit. After local schooling she went on to her accountancy qualifications with the then firm of Brooking, Knowles and Lawrence.
Music was one of her special gifs and she progressed with her cornet and trumpet brass playing with Bands at St Mary's Primary school through to the North Hampshire Area Schools then on to the championship winning Hampshire Youth Concert. In her university days she was a member of the Oxford Colleges Big Band and other groups in that city and finally, in more recent years, the Tadley Band. Not only a brass player, she was a competent pianist and also a good singer; at one stage she was head chorister of St Mary's Church.
Away from music she could be seen taking part in the village carnivals in a variety of fancy dress guises and also progressed from being one of the tea girls for Old Basing Cricket Club through to being a match scorer for one of its teams. As her children grew up she was then one of the team that organised the Café Bienvenue in St Mary's Parish Room, eventually becoming it's Chairwoman. Who too will forget her appearance as Cinderella in the 2003 Pantomime in the Village Hall, where not only did she have a lead role but also, unknown to the audience, provided the back stage brass playing to those miming on stage.
Except for the last few weeks of her life she remained active, supporting her husband and children in their many activities.
What of her legacies? Beyond the memories of her and the respect and admiration that she won, there are the recognisable musical talents passed on to her children where her eldest this year was awarded a music and sport scholarship to Sherfield School and her youngest, who is now developing his musical talents at St Mary's Primary school. Recently she was delighted that her children both won awards in not only the Basingstoke Music Festival but also had become the English Southern Region gymnast champions for their ages. In this gymnastics field, as champions they have gone on to compete in the British National Finals at the end of April and early in May.
Christopher, Lucy and Henry thank all those from Old Basing and around the world who have expressed their condolences and support through the many cards, letters and attendance at her service and also in the form of donations to St Michael's Hospice in Basingstoke. They are joined in this thanks by Reg and Jan Mantel and Peter and Edna Sibley. Resquiet in pace.
The Families