The Life of Ruth Rawls
LAFAYETTE - Ruth Lang Rawls, known affectionately by her grandchildren as "Grammy Roo", passed away on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, in Frisco, Texas, following a twelve-year battle with Alzheimer''s disease. She was 85 years old. Ruth was born in Essex Junction, Vermont on October 29, 1930, on her family''s dairy farm. She graduated from The University of Vermont in 1953 (the first college graduate in her family), and was a stewardess for Eastern Airlines for several years before marrying Murl "Reb" Rawls in 1955 and moving to Louisiana. Ruth was the mother of four children and a homemaker and teacher. She taught at and was the Director of Spencer Business College in the early 1970''s and then taught for many years at Comeaux High School. Following Reb''s death in 1979, she went to work for Amoco Production Company and retired in 1999. She left Lafayette in 2000 to live near her daughter but the city, its people and the culture she had embraced over 40 years were never far from her heart. Though in her last years she was plagued by Alzheimer''s, which robbed her of her personality and memories, her strength of body and pure instinctive Yankee stubbornness were evidenced in how long the disease took to finally claim her. She is happy and whole again in Heaven with Reb, her beloved oldest son, Steven Rawls, her older sister, Margaret Lang, and her parents, John and Lida May Wiley Lang. She is survived by her son, David Rawls, his wife, Felicia, and their children, Tiffany and Benjamin; her son, Dean Rawls, his wife, Cira, and their children, Michael and Gabrielle; her daughter, Dawn Rawls Valentine, her husband, Jason, and their children, Zack and Tyler; and her honorary son, Jimmy Heffernan. She is also survived by three younger sisters, Marion, Alice and Katherine, and three younger brothers, John, William and Ralph, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. A graveside memorial service will be held at Lafayette Memorial Park Cemetery, Lafayette, Louisiana at 11am on Monday, April 4, 2016, and her ashes will be buried with Reb and Steven as she wished. For anyone who knew and loved Ruth, know that she loved you back, even though for years at the end of her life her mind may not have let her show it. In lieu of flowers, we ask that those that remember her fondly say a prayer for families currently affected by Alzheimer''s, and if you so choose, make a donation to The
Alzheimer''s Association
in Ruth''s memory.
