Ruth Lydia Sullivan

Ruth Lydia Sullivan Ruth Lydia Sullivan died Friday, June 7, 2013,,,, in the home of her daughter, Ann and son-in-law, Ronald Dodson in Viewtown, Virginia, where she has lived for the past ten years. She was 92. After battling cancer for several years the Lord has taken her home. During her illness most of her family was able to comfort and be with her. Ruth was born on December 4, 1920, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she met her husband, Harold. They were married for 65 years. She was the daughter of the late Arthur C. Sullivan and Ida Bell Shifflett. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Harold M. Sullivan; a beloved grandson, Richard Allan "Ritchie" Dodson; brothers, Roy C., Edgar M., Ellis W., and Joseph I. Sullivan; and sisters, Harriet Wise, Ethel Shifflett, Josephine Ritchie, Eva Sullivan and Evelyn Webster. She is survived by a brother, Meredith A. Sullivan of Waynesboro, Va.; daughters and their husbands, Charlotte and Butch Sesler of Warrenton, Virginia, Ann and Ronald Dodson of Viewtown, Virginia; her sons and their wives, Harold R. Sullivan of Culpeper, Wayne and Dottie Sullivan of Charlottesville, and Richard E. Sullivan of Tampa, Florida; very special friends, Shirley Lillard and Eddie Rivera. She leaves 11 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and three great-great- grandchildren. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend and will be greatly missed. Ruth and her family lived in Warrenton for about 10 years. They were the owners of Sullivan's County Store on Route 17 in Warrenton for years. After the store closed Harold went to work at the VHFS Commissary near Warrenton. After he retired, they moved to Ruckersville. Soon after Harold died in 2002, she moved in with her daughter, Ann. She was a wonderful cook and enjoyed having her family come for Sunday dinners. Her chocolate and lemon pies were beyond delicious. She enjoyed making quilts and made one for each of her children. She loved houseplants and had beautiful African Violets. She loved her parakeets and her dog, Fluffy. Preddy Funeral Home, 59 Edgewood School Lane in Madison, Virginia, 22727, is in charge of arrangements where the service will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, 2013. Interment will follow at Gentry United Methodist Church Cemetery, 2565 Boonesville Road, Dyke, VA 22935. Pallbearers will be Darryl Sesler, Neil Dodson, Steve Orye, Chris Dodson, Curtis Sullivan and Brandon Sesler. Honorary pallbearers will be Josh Sesler and Kevin Orye. Pastor John Lines will officiate. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Hospice of The Rapidan, P. O. Box 1715, Culpeper, VA 22701 or the Amissville Volunteer Fire and Rescue, P. O. Box 147, Amissville, VA 20106 Family night will be from 7 until 8:30 p.m. Monday, June 10, 2013, at the funeral home. The rest of the family expresses our deep gratitude to Ann and Ronald for their tender love and care for their mom during all these years in lieu of putting her in a nursing home. The family would like to thank everyone including the Butch Pritchett family of Ruckersville for their friendship and being there for her over the years and to her grandson, Curtis, who did all of her yard maintenance. We also thank the ladies of the Hospice of the Rapidan during these past few months for their care of Ruth and Ann's family during this very stressful and painful period. Their knowledge and compassion were very much appreciated.


This obituary was originally published in the Culpeper StarExponent.