Ruth Ellen Pike

Ruth Ellen (Smith) Pike, age 88, passed away on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, VA. Born on September 7, 1934 in Presque Isle, ME at the home of her great grandparents to the late Omar Harold Smith and Aurelia May Gwendoline (Graham) Smith. Ruth arrived as a determined 2 lb twin who was kept in a shoebox behind the stove as an incubator. That warrior spirit and sheer determination served her well throughout her life. She grew up on her family homestead in Presque Isle where her father was a potato farmer and her mother was a well-educated farm wife and entrepreneur. She and her siblings were raised with a love of nature, books, sports and the great state of Maine. They were also taught the value of a strong work ethic, to be grateful for the good times and to be resilient during hard times with positivity and faith. Faith, family, friends and service to others were most important to her. She gained her love of learning in a one room schoolhouse that was her grammar school. After attending Ricker College, she became a registered nurse, completing her nursing education at the Royal Victoria School of Nursing in Montreal, Quebec. The friends she made during that time were still in touch at the time of her passing. Upon graduation Ruth and a group of her classmates began their careers together at the New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, MA. She met her husband Gordon at the Deaconess working the night shift when she was a head nurse and Gordon was a respiratory therapist. They were married in July 1960 in Walpole, MA. Ruth was a head nurse at the Joslin Diabetes Clinic at the Deaconess Hospital in the 1960s, then moved to Norwood Hospital in Norwood.MA as a head nurse so she could be closer to home for her children’s school activities. The family moved to New Hartford, NY in 1972 where she worked as the head nurse in the skilled nursing unit and became a Certified Diabetes Educator at St Luke's Memorial Hospital helping to start and grow the diabetes education department. She was a well-respected expert in diabetes care, on call 24/7, fielding questions from Drs and patients with kindness especially in the middle of the night. Her commitment to her patients carried over into volunteer service as the President of the American Diabetes Association of Central NY. Upon her retirement from nursing in 1995, she and Gordon moved to Sun City Center, FL They enjoyed spending time with friends, were active with the Shriners, and their church, St John the Divine, where she sang in the choir. She also became president of the Interfaith Council in Sun City Center. In 2006 when their health began to decline, they moved to Haymarket, VA to be closer to their children. Ruth enjoyed bringing family and friends together, especially during holidays when friends whose families weren't near would gather for her wonderful meals and fellowship. She was a fabulous cook known for her seafood and lobster bakes. Music was important to her, enjoying piano, violin and voice lessons when she was young. Her voice was beautiful, often singing at weddings of friends. Family camping trips and visiting family in New England, especially Maine, were treasured memories. Her love of game shows was unrivaled. Those who knew her well never called her during Jeopardy! Most importantly, her greatest strength was maintaining strong relationships with her family and friends. She would say her most treasured gift was her grandson, Zack. She loved watching and hearing about his lacrosse games, as well as sharing stories about him with anyone who would listen. Predeceased by her parents; her husband of 56 years: Gordon F. Pike; son: Donald G. Pike; sister: Elizabeth S. Marks; twin brother, Roland M. Smith; several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; and dear friends who she considered family, Catherine Harris and Greschen Richards Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Donna L. and Mark T. Raczynski of Haymarket, VA; one grandson; Zachary B. Raczynski of Haymarket, VA; her grandson’s girlfriend, Rachel Brown of Gainesville, VA; her son's partner Russell Freeman of Takoma Park, MD; her daughter's brother-in-law and sister-in-law Theodore "Butch" and Lynne Juda of Rochester, NY; nieces: Ann Bungard, Dianne Griggs, Janet Rolland, Sandra Malloy, Valerie Pike; nephews Kenneth Marks, Michael Smith, Richard Roy; special cousin: Nancy Shaw; and friends who she considered family: Pamela and Steve Arnold, Raymond Harris, Betty Higgins, Judy LaGasse, Barbara Morris, Diane Smith, and the Rogers and Twedt families. The family would like to thank her physician Dr. Sujatha Ramaseshan, as well as the staff at Morningside House of Leesburg for their love and care, especially Iris Gallardo. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 15 at 11:00 am, St James' Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St NW, Leesburg, VA. (Traffic and road closures due to an event in Old Town Leesburg will impact travel time.) In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to: the Diabetes Education Program, Mohawk Valley Health System Foundation, 1676 Sunset Ave, Utica, NY 13502 in loving memory of Ruth E. Pike.

Ruth Ellen Pike

September 7, 1934 - March 15, 2023