Shirley Ruple

Shirley Wilheit Ruple IRMO - Shirley Wilheit Ruple, 80, of Irmo, passed away at home on Thursday, April 7, 2016. Shirley was born in Panama on July 18, 1935 to McCall Hudson Wilheit and Anne Price Wilheit. She grew up in College Park, GA, graduated from the University of Georgia and later earned her MA at the University of Wyoming. Shirley lived her life well and faithfully. Her early dedication to serving others began as a volunteer with the Heart Association in Rome, NY, where she was honored for her volunteer service with Military Wife of the Year, Air Force Systems Command. In her military travels with her husband, Tom, she then became a volunteer at the Alexandria, VA Suicide Hotline. Her passion for service led her to become Crisis Service Coordinator at Saint Elizabeth's Emergency Psychiatric Service, Washington DC, where she designed, built, and trained staff for a suicide prevention program. As a crisis management and hostage negotiator with the FBI, Shirley served as President of the SC Crisis Negotiators Association in 1998. She authored many crisis intervention training manuals, as well as Grief: the hidden crisis (pp. 241-246) in Crisis intervention compendium. After Tom's retirement in 1989, they moved to Irmo to enjoy Lake Murray and Shirley joined the SC Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) as Assistant Director and Volunteer Coordinator (1991-1996). Following that, she joined the SC Department of Public Safety in the Office of Justice Programs. Most recently, she served as Victims Assistance Coordinator for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department. For all her many accomplishments and varied passions, she was most committed to, and passionate about, her family and friends. Left to cherish her memory and to carry on her legacy are her beloved husband of 60 years, Tom Ruple, and her sister, Barbara (Willie) Geer. She was received into heaven with a pots-and-pan band by her daughters, Lorri Sipe and Marian Ruple. Her remaining children, Sara Kearns (George), David Ruple (Amelia), Susan StJohn, as well as her grandchildren Megan (Craig) Bell, Kara Penn, Anna (Devin) Johnson, Macy Ruple, Thomas Ruple, Bryce Woodring, Clay Wooding, Austin St. John, Mary St. John, Ryan (Aimee) Sipe, Sean Sipe, Becky Sipe; her great-grandchildren, Conrad Woodring, Karson Woodring, Paisley Bell; and, her nieces, Mary Geer and Jane Carol Koop, will miss their beloved mother, Oma, and aunt. A Celebration of Shirley's Life will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Union United Methodist Church on Woodrow Street in Irmo. Friends and family are welcomed to join in our colorful celebration of this extraordinary woman's life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either Union United Methodist Church or Sistercare, Inc. of Columbia at www.sistercare.com. Please sign the online guestbook at www.dunbarfunerals.com. Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel, Irmo, is assisting the family.