Ruth Whitla Durie, 92, of Burnsville, NC, daughter of the late John William and Josephine (Eagleson) Whitla, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2024, at her home with her family at her side. A graduate of Montclair State Teachers College, she taught at the Morris Township Junior High School and The Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ) before retiring in the early 1990s.
Ruth lived in NJ before moving to Burnsville at the age of 75. She enjoyed volunteering at the Church Street Preschool and the friends she made in Joy Boothe’s exercise class at the Fitness Center. A quiet but warm person, Ruth enjoyed visiting with her neighbors on her front porch. Her children and grandchildren remember her devotion to her family, her generosity, and her integrity. Ruth grew up attending Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, NJ, and was an active member of Saint Peter‘s Episcopal Church in Freehold, New Jersey, for almost 50 years before moving to NC. She continued to attend worship services and take part in study groups at St. Peter’s via the Internet even after moving to Burnsville.
Surviving are Ruth’s children Dorothy J. Bobbe MD (Peter) of Burnsville, NC; William J. Durie MD (Patricia Grahek MD) of Hibbing, MN; and Robert C. Durie (Nancy) of Princeton Junction, NJ; and grandchildren Mark, Christopher, and Sarah Bobbe; Jack, Will, and Elyssa Durie; and Joseph, Thomas, and John Durie. Also surviving are nieces Kathleen Rodda Hirsch (Robert) of Owl’s Head, ME, and Elizabeth Rodda Hannaman (William) of San Diego, CA; sister-in-law Joan Whitla of Williamsburg, VA; and nephews Andrew Whitla (Ruth) of Shakopee, MN, and Randall Whitla (Mary) of Leicester, MA; as well as several lifelong friends.
In addition to her parents, Ruth was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, Joseph C. Durie, and by her siblings William E. Whitla, Robert S. Whitla, Dorothy E. Whitla Rodda, and John B. Whitla.
Services will be scheduled in New Jersey at a future date. Interment will be in the Arlington Cemetery in Kearny, New Jersey.
Yancey Funeral Services is proudly serving the Durie family. To send online condolences, please visit our website at, www.yanceyfuneralservices.com.
