Ruth M. Berkey

Much loved mother, grandmother, friend, and tireless women’s sports advocate RuthMargaret Berkey passed away at the age of 89 amongst family in Grants Pass, OR on May 18, 2025.

Ruth was born in 1935 in Beverly, Massachusetts to Robert and Helen Anderson. She received her B.S. in Physical Education and Kinesiology from Pepperdine College in 1957 and went on to complete a Masters degree in Physical Education at The Universityof Southern California (USC) in 1959. Ruth married Bruce Elliott Berkey in 1960 and they settled in Sierra Madre, CA, where they had two sons, Bruce R and James F Berkey. After teaching in Pasadena at John Marshall Junior High School, Ruth began her ambitious and trend-setting career in women’s athletics at Occidental College in LosAngeles, CA in 1960. Ruth served as an associate professor of physical education and coached several women’s sports at Occidental, including tennis, basketball, volleyball,field hockey, badminton, archery and water polo. Ruth’s true passion was in coaching basketball and volleyball and she led those teams to several conference championships.In addition to teaching and coaching, she served as Dean of Women from 1965 to 1968 and in 1977 became one of the first women in the U.S. to serve as a collegiate Athletic Director for both men’s and women’s sports. During her time at Occidental, Ruth became a national figure and pioneer who, after the passage of Title IX in 1972, saw the opportunity to fight for equal standing for women in college sports. Her skilled advocacy and leadership did not go unnoticed and in 1980 she accepted an offer from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to establish their first women’s championshi pprogram for Divisions I, II, & III, an ambitious and historic task. Ruth proved that she was more than up to the challenge. Based at NCAA’s then headquarters in Shawnee Mission, KS, Ruth eventually became the Assistant Executive Director of the NCAA,working there from 1980 until 1992. Her immense contribution to women’s athletics was recognized when she received the 2002 Honda Award for Outstanding Achievement Women’s Collegiate Athletics.

Throughout her life, Ruth tirelessly applied her energy and skills towards both personal and professional pursuits. She touched people as a positive force wherever she lived and whatever she became involved in. She was a force of nature at home, as a mother and later as a grandmother. She was a talented cook, musician, seamstress, athlete, gardener,and quilter. In 2008, Ruth moved to Grants Pass, OR to be close to her son Bruce and his wife Amanda and their 5 children. Ruth was an avid (and competitive) tennis player throughout her life and in her retirement continued her passion for the “lifetime” game by supporting local tennis. She was the girls tennis coach at Hidden Valley HS and the president of the Grants Pass Community Tennis Association for a number of years. Whether in her bible study group, quilting circuit, or tennis clubs, you could always find Ruth serving in a leadership role, selflessly contributing to the cause, and doing so with great joy and passion.

Ruth is survived by her brother Bob Anderson (94), her two sons Bruce Robert (62) and James Frederic (60) Berkey, seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

Please share a memory of Ruth in her Guestbook.