June Ruete

June Ruete

June Ruete Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Nov. 4, 2007.
WEST YARMOUTH —

June Ruete, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, died of cancer on Oct. 31, 2007, at the Mayflower Nursing Center in West Yarmouth. She was 83.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Edward S. Ruete, Cmdr., US Navy, retired, of West Yarmouth. Born June Littlefield Spencer on August 3, 1924, the daughter of Vice Admiral Lyndon Spencer, US Coast Guard, and Lucile Littlefield Spencer and sister of the late Claire Lipscomb, she was a 1942 graduate of Belmont High School. She attended Goucher College from 1942 to 1944, when she married Ed upon his graduation from the United States Naval Academy. She accompanied him to a variety of duty stations including Philadelphia, Penn., Whidbey Island, Wash., Washington, D.C., Subic Bay, Philippines and Mechanicsburg, Penn., and stayed with their two children when Ed went to sea.

Though June had many talents, she chose to dedicate her life to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren over a career outside the home. In the years between her children and grandchildren, she ministered as a nurses' aid in a nursing home. She was active at the First Lutheran Church of West Barnstable, where she and Ed led the First Lutheran Youth (FLY) for many years, impacting the lives of many young adults. June was also instrumental in the resettlement of refugees sponsored by the church.

For the past 18 years, June and Ed have lived at the Mayflower Place retirement community. June had many friends and helped many who needed it. When snow shut down the whole Cape in 2005, some Mayflower workers were stranded at home and others at Mayflower. June quietly made sure that several people who couldn't get home had food and a place to sleep and she and Ed took on some of the duties of others stuck at home. She was like that.

Besides her husband, Mrs. Ruete is survived by her daughter, Claire Lynn Ruete Reid, and her husband, David B. Reid; son, Edward Spencer Ruete and his wife, Doris Beebe; her husband's sister, Betty Jane Hedden and her husband, Willard Hedden; her brother-in-law, John Lipscomb; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many loving others close to her family whose lives she touched.

A Service of Celebration of June's Life will be held at First Lutheran in West Barnstable on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception in the church. A memorial service will be held at Mayflower Place in the future.

No flowers, please. Instead, donations may be made to First Lutheran Church, 1663 Main St., West Barnstable, MA 02668 in support of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal or to a charity of your choice.

Doane Beal & Ames

508-775-0684

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