Most senior BRS member Ruth dies, 97
GİRNE’S most senior British Residents Society life member, Ruth Smith, has died at the age of 97.
One of the last of her generation, she was well known to St Andrew’s Church members for her 30 years’ help in the church shop, charity work with underprivileged and handicapped children at the Lefkoşa Deaf School, and was a founding member of the Help charity and the church’s Ladies’ Thursday Group.
Born Ruth Maunders, an only child, in Weaste, Greater Manchester, in June 1920, she served in the women’s branch of the British Army, the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), as a telephonist and code reader during the Second World War.
Her marriage to husband Les in February 1945, after they met at a post-war church garden party, was followed in 1946 by the birth of her first son, well-known Girne estate agent Ian Smith, in Prestwich where they lived until the late 1950s. His brother, Neil, arrived four years later. The Smiths moved to Mere, Knutsford, until 1986, when they followed Ian and his wife Linda to North Cyprus for a happy retirement.
Les Smith, a former editor of the Guardian newspaper, died in May 1993 but Ruth continued to live a full life surrounded by several members of her family. She passed away last Saturday.
Linda Smith said her mother-in-law had been “a great inspiration” to others, always elegant and with an “infectious love of life”, while granddaughter Kate affectionately described her as “feisty”. Julia Price, of the BRS, described her as “wonderful”.
She is survived by her two sons, their wives Linda and Janet, grandchildren Chris, Kate, Charlie, Daniel and Philip and great-grandchildren Ella, Jacob and Findlay.
Mrs Smith’s funeral will take place at noon on Tuesday at Girne’s New British Cemetery, opposite Pia Bella Hotel, followed by a wake at the Grapevine Restaurant.
Rev Roy Symons, who will lead the ceremony, said: “I feel happy and privileged, both to have known [Mrs Smith] for 18 years and to conduct the service.”
The family have requested donations to the Help Those with Cancer Association (Tulips) in lieu of flowers and a collection will be taken by Sandy Oram.