OBITUARY Ruth Holcomb Mears June 4, 1927 – September 27, 2018 RUTH HOLCOMB MEARS (1927-2018) Ruth Holcomb Mears passed peacefully from this life at home with her family on September 27, 2018, and joined her parents, her sisters and brother, and many dear friends in heaven. She was born on June 4, 1927, in Birmingham. She was the fourth child of her parents, John and Lillian Holcomb.
Ruth and her husband, Thomas Wakefield Mears, have five children, John Holcomb Mears (Darleen), Thomas Anderson Mears (Ruth), Ellen Mears Duncan (Townes), Martha Mears Wells (Charles), and Katherine Mears O’Mary (Mark). After graduating from Ramsey High School, Ruth attended Duke University. While home during the summer after her freshman year, she met and fell in love with Thomas Mears, who was an intern at Jefferson Hillman Hospital.
At that point, she left Duke and transferred to Birmingham-Southern. She and Thomas were married on December 27, 1947, and were blessed to celebrate 70 years of marriage this past year. After Thomas completed his residency in Surgery at the Mayo Clinic, they returned to Birmingham to raise their family.
A wonderful sense of family traditions permeated their life together. Ruth loved her family, her extended family, and her many lifelong friends with great devotion. And she adored her 14 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
The eternal student, Ruth took numerous classes at Samford to broaden her knowledge and education. Traveling and seeing different parts of the world, often with the Vanderbilt group and Carol and Ham Hazlehurst, were highlights of their lives together. Ruth also was an avid gardener and lover of flowers.
And she loved to cook, entertain, and set a beautiful table. An avid reader, there was always a book by her bed. She was well known for her strong opinions, but truly was willing to listen to other’s thoughts.
A good banter was something she relished. Mountain Brook Baptist Church was her church home and a place where she gave countless hours of her time and energy. She taught Sunday School to the five year olds for twenty years.
And when all of her children were grown and raising their own families, she volunteered in the church’s day care program. She had a real gift with babies. Thank you to all the wonderful caregivers who took such loving care of Ruth, especially Jimmy Davis.
And special thanks to her gardener and general helper, Demetrius Parker. Visitation with the family will be held in Hudson Hall at Mountain Brook Baptist Church at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, October 1, 2018, followed by a celebration of her life in the sanctuary at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Mountain Brook Baptist Church Day Care Program.
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