Ruth White Jennings, 86, of Westport, MA, died peacefully at home with her family by her side on Monday, December 28, 2009 after an extended illness. She was the beloved wife of the late John D. Jennings for 63 years.
Born December 20, 1923 in Brooklyn, NY, Mrs. Jennings was the daughter of the late J. Harry White and the late Lillian Victoria Owen White. As a child, she also lived in Sparkill, NY, White Plains, NY and Danbury, CT, until her family settled in Bethel, CT.
Mrs. Jennings graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School (then called Northfield School) in Northfield, MA in 1941. She attended Skidmore College and The Julliard School of Music, where she studied Opera.
In 1946, she married John D. Jennings. They lived in Middletown, CT, Danbury, CT, Cheshire, CT and Poughkeepsie, NY before moving to Westport in 1976. Mrs. Jennings was a homemaker and she gave piano lessons to children. In the 1950’s and early 1960’s, Mrs. Jennings and her husband ran a summer day camp, Tarra-Walla, in Danbury. In Poughkeepsie, she taught Yoga, tutored and was a guiding force at Oakwood Friends School as the headmaster’s wife.
Mrs. Jennings was a member of the Westport Monthly Meeting of Friends and was a board member of the Friends of the Westport Library and Concerts at the Point. She also helped campaign in many local elections and did other volunteer work. She was an avid gardener and enjoyed spending time at the beach. From the beginning, she led a life of love, humor, compassion and a resolve to help others .
She leaves a daughter, Carol D. Guay and her husband, Gene, of Westport, and two sons: John D. Jennings, Jr. (“Jack”) and his wife, Nina, of Westport, and James R. Jennings and his wife, Karen, of New York City; four grandchildren: Anna Guay, Eric Guay, Nadia Jennings and Dakotah Jennings; her brother, L. Brett White of Swannanoa, NC and several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Jennings was the sister of the late Joy W. Napier and the late Harry R. White.
A memorial celebration will be held on Saturday, April 10, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. at the Westport Friends Meeting, 930 Main Road, Westport, Mass.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her name to Lighthouse Hospice Foundation, 529 Main Street, Suite 101, Charlestown, MA 02129 or to the Westport Monthly Meeting of Friends, P. O. Box 3707, Westport, MA 02790.