Ruth Ward Healey Carpenter

April 23, 1923-May 27, 2010

Ruth "Pat" Ward Healey Carpenter died at her residence at Dogwood Forest Retirement Community in Gainesville on Thursday, May 27, 2010. She was 87. The daughter of Catherine Therese Mathieu Healey and James Christopher Healey, she grew up in New Jersey and New York City. She graduated from Boston University in 1944 with a degree in art and then joined the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services). She was assigned to the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md., where she worked as an occupational therapist serving wounded soldiers returning from Europe and the South Pacific. This is where she met her husband of 54 years, Edwin Grady Carpenter of Augusta.

Mrs. Carpenter was director of the pre-school program at the Episcopal Day School in Augusta and then taught art in the Richmond County school system. She worked for a time as a graphic artist at Fort Gordon. After receiving a Masters Degree in Special Education from Peabody College in Nashville, Tenn., she served as the county's resource teacher for the visually handicapped. She then went to the State Department of Education in Atlanta to serve as a consultant to schools with programs for the handicapped and visually impaired. This led to her joining the faculty at Florida State University, teaching future teachers of the handicapped.

She retired as Director of Special Education in Dekalb County.

In her retirement, Mrs. Carpenter explored many things - she was a Master Gardener and volunteered at the Botanic Gardens in Atlanta; she served as a docent at both the Carter Center and the History Center in Atlanta. She established and managed a library at Cannon United Methodist Church in Lilburn. She continued with her painting, photography and other artistic pursuits. After moving to the Oakwood area, she supported the arts communities in both Gainesville and Atlanta, was active in both Oakwood United Methodist Church and Gainesville First United Methodist Church.

Mrs. Carpenter is survived by her children, Cynthia and Donald Leggett of Seneca, S.C., James and Tracy Carpenter of Doraville; a nephew, Paul D. Healey Ph.D. of Urbana, Ill.; and a granddaughter-in-law, Melisa Mitchell of Baltimore, Md.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; brother, Robert M. Healey Ph.D; and her grandson, Timothy Mathieu Leggett.

A memorial service is planned for Tuesday, June 1, at 1 p.m. at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, 2780 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville. Visitation will be after the service in the reception room of the church. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Carpenter's name to Gainesville First United Methodist Church; or to Oakwood United Methodist Church, Oakwood; or to Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Memorial Park Funeral Home North-Riverside Chapel, 989 Riverside Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501 is in charge of arrangements.
Send online condolences to www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com.