Ruth Meiklejohn

1923 - 2022

Ruth Jane (Brown) Meiklejohn, passed away peacefully, surrounded by love, at Berkshire Medical Center on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at the age of 99. Independent, determined, and feisty to the end, she insisted on living on her own terms in the Williamstown home where she had resided for the past 60 years.

The youngest of four children, Ruth was born January 17, 1923, the daughter of William Aubrey and Mary (Lloyd) Brown, in the Blackinton section of North Adams. Growing up, she helped on the family farm, driving the tractor and waiving to the train crews who were surprised to see a girl atop the tractor. She handlied any other chores that did not involve having to go into the chicken coop.

She obtained her driver's license on her 16th birthday, and her license became a symbol of her independence, as she continued to drive for 82 years.

She attended local schools, graduating from Drury High School in 1940, and then took a position at Sprague Electric Company. She married the late Donald Meiklejohn on August 23, 1947, moving to Goodrich Street in North Adams, where they began to raise their two children, Tom and Lynn. In 1961, the family moved to the house on Benlise Drive in Williamstown that Ruth loved so much. She took great pride and care of her home, making it a warm, safe haven for the family, a place that everyone loved, especially Ruth.

Ruth was a member of the First Congregational Church in North Adams for nearly 75 years. She formed many close friendships with her fellow parishioners. Even into her 90s, she would stop to pick up a friend as she drove to church. She also volunteered at the Williamstown Women's Exchange.

Ruth, Don and family vacationed annually for more than 40 years at Little Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire, becoming part of a close community of 8 families who would meet there for two weeks each summer with their children and then with their grandchildren. These trips produced innumerable fond memories for three generations of the family.

After raising her children, Ruth went to work in the Williams College library, a job that she truly loved and that helped to foster her love of books. She and Don retired together to pursue opportunities for travel. They loved and cared for one another through 60 years of marriage.

Ruth was pre-deceased by her sisters Helen Brown and Mary Haggerty and her brother Aubrey Brown. She leaves her son, Tom Meiklejohn of South Windsor, Connecticut; daughter Lynn Hall of South Salem, New York, daughter-in-law Meg Meiklejohn; son-in-law Doug Hall; four grandchildren: Rachel Meiklejohn of Santa Fe, David Meiklejohn of Columbia, Maryland, Megan Hall of Lake Peekskill, New York, and Michael Hall of Danbury CT.; and six great grandchildren.

FUNERAL NOTICE: A memorial service for family and friends of Ruth Meiklejohn will be held at the First Congregational Church of North Adams on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 10:00 AM. Burial will follow in Eastlawn cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Congregational Church of North Adams or to a charity of the donor's choice in care of FLYNN & DAGNOLI-MONTAGNA HOME FOR FUNERALS CENTRAL CHAPEL, 74 Marshall St. North Adams, MA 01247. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com