Richard "Dick" A. Ruth, Iv

LCDR Richard A. Ruth, IV, USN (Ret), age 90, died peacefully at his home on May 8, 2024.  Born July 21, 1933, in Phoebus, Va., he was the son of the late Richard Arthur Ruth III and Helen (Cooney) Ruth.  He was the husband of 69 years to Barbara (Beahan) Ruth, formerly of Philadelphia.

Dick was a natural athlete and during his senior year at Hampton High School, his football and cross-country teams captured the Virginia State titles. He finished his high school term early to attend the Hilder Prep School in Washington, D.C. prior to his Senatorial appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.  At the Academy, Dick was manager of the cross-country team and was a member of the Drum and Bugle Corp and 16th Company. It was there that he met Barbara who embraced her role as a Navy wife and mother, often moving across the country to the next duty assignment.

Upon graduation in 1955, Dick attended Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, Ga. He then was assigned to the USS Bennington in Seattle, Washington. His next assignment was to the pre-commissioning detail of the USS Bridget  and, upon commissioning, served as the ship’s first Supply Corps officer. His next shore assignments were Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Va.; Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md. He later served on the USS Cambria as the ship’s Supply Officer. Dick completed his 20-year Naval Career at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. and at the Naval Air Facility at Joint Base Andrews, Md. While stationed at the Navy Yard, Dick earned his Master’s Degree from George Washington University.

Following his retirement from the Navy, Dick served for 20 years in the Federal Civil Service in the Washington, D.C. area. He retired from the Naval Regional Contracting Center in Washington, D.C. in 1993.

Dick believed in serving others and often volunteered with schools and Church.  When he lived in Pennsylvania, he served as a lector and Eucharistic minister at Christ the King Parish in Houtzdale, Pa., and was the Faithful Navigator for the Knights of Columbus Parish Council. He also served as a caregiver and driver for a blind relative for ten years. When he and his wife relocated to the Evergreens in Columbia, Md., Dick was a pastoral visitor for Vantage House and Howard County General Hospital. He also enjoyed teaching neighbors how to play bridge and participated in the Howard County Community College Senior Chorus. One of his favorite activities was meeting an afternoon group of ladies at the Evergreens community room to share his newest joke.

Dick also loved to stay physically active and enjoyed sailing and playing tennis with relatives and friends. Over the years, he entered several local Senior Olympic tennis tournaments.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are daughter and son-in-law Deborah (Ruth) Rhoad and John Daniel Rhoad, Jr., of Laurel, Md., son and daughter-in-law, Michael S. Ruth and Lisa (Fratino) Ruth of Annapolis, Md., and son, Scott A. Ruth, of College Park, Md.; brother, John N. Ruth of Hampton, Va., brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Kassie (Solan) Ruth of Vancouver, British Columbia; grandchildren, Devin L. and Erinn (Deignan) Rhoad of Clearfield, Pa., Brendan and Kate (Silvis) Rhoad of Richmond, Va., Tyler Ruth and Savannah Ruth of Annapolis, Md.;  a nephew, six nieces, and nine great-grandchildren who affectionately called him Pap-Pap.  He was predeceased by his brother, the Rev. Robert F. Ruth of Norfolk, Va., and his sister-in-law, Rosa L. Ruth of Hampton, Va.

The family will receive friends from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Parish in Fulton, Md., on Friday, May 31, 2024 , with a funeral Mass immediately following at 11:00 a.m. A private inurnment with military honors will be held at the United States Naval Academy at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family would deeply appreciate donations in the memory of Richard A. Ruth, IV, USNA Class of 1955, to the United States Naval Academy Foundation at 301 King George St., Annapolis, MD 21402 or at https://www.usna.com/give .