Ruthann Depfer

Depfer, Ruthann age 79, most recently of Wayzata, formerly of West Chester, Pennsylvania, passed away on October 14, ending a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease. Born Ruthann Preston in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, she spent most of her life in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Ursinus College with a degree in biology, and met her future husband, John Depfer, while working at Wyeth Laboratories. John preceded her in death, passing away in 1968. Ruthann and John are survived by two loving daughters, Joan Depfer and Laurie Koch; son-in-law, William Koch; two terrific grandchildren, Jack and Kate; a brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Betty Preston of Houston, Texas; many nieces and nephews; and a select group of very close and dear friends. One of Ruthann's proudest accomplishments was her daughters' success as a lawyer in Philadelphia (Joan) and a physician in Minneapolis (Laurie). She is predeceased by her younger brother, Thomas Preston, and her parents, Lewis and Laura "Dee" Preston. A memorial service is being planned in Pennsylvania over the holidays. The family asks that contributions be given in her memory to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Church Station, PO Box 780, New York, NY 10008-0780.
This obituary was originally published in the Star Tribune.