Ruth Whitehead
January 8, 2022
Ruth Virginia Nelms Whitehead
Ruth Virginia Nelms Whitehead died on Saturday, January 8, 2022, after a long illness. She was born on February 4, 1921, in Elvins, MO, to Charles G. and Maude Carter Nelms. She was the youngest of three sisters and two brothers. Ruth graduated in 1938 from Desloge High School, Desloge, MO. She then attended the local community college, learning office skills which held her in good stead throughout her working life. During World War II she worked in St. Louis, MO., for McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft. Having known him for most of her life, she married Marine Technical Sergeant James H. Whitehead in September, 1944, while he was home on leave from the South Pacific. After his leave and a brief honeymoon, they returned to his new duty station at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro. Ruth was pregnant and returned to Missouri to await the birth and her husband’s return after the war’s end.
During their working lives, Ruth and family lived and worked in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and finally settled in Gainesville, FL in July of 1959. In September 1959, Ruth accepted a Secretary 1 job in the new, just forming, Department of Metallurgy, College of Engineering, at the University of Florida, later developing into the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. At the time, she was the Dean’s Secretary, and maintained the position of the Dean’s Assistant for the next approximately 23 years. At some point she was promoted to Staff Assistant 1. In his letter requesting a replacement, the Dean stated, in part, “She has unlimited latitude in the carrying out of her assigned functions: initiating letters, appointment forms, various other forms she fills out for funding agencies, affirmative action reports, graduate student surveys, etc., etc.” Additionally, she helped many Materials Science Doctoral Candidates with the formatting and typing, of their Dissertations. As a result, many of them kept in touch with her during her retirement. She was one of the last two original founding members.
She was predeceased by her parents, her husband Jim, her two brothers and two sisters and their spouses. She is survived by her son, Michael J. Whitehead (Dianne) in Gainesville; four granddaughters – Lori McNally (Chris) in Tallahassee, Kristin Stewart (Chris) in Winter Springs, Aimee Whitehead in Littleton, CO, Michelle Beasley (David) in Englewood, CO; 3 great granddaughters, 2 great grandsons, and 1 great, great granddaughter.
A very special thanks must be made to Compassionate Care Caregivers, specifically Twilla Collins, Kent Walker and Diane Budget for the exceptional loving care they provided my mother during the final sixteen months of her life. They treated mom like she was a member of their family.
The family requests, that in lieu of flowers, donations in her name be made to the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer, St. Jude Children’s hospital, or the Parkinson Disease foundation.
Crevasse's Simple Cremation is honored to serve the Whitehead Family.
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I love you grandma. I’ll miss you always. Thank you for my life. 🙏🏽💕
I am so sorry to hear this sad news about Ruth. She and Jim were special people and I felt privileged to have known both of them. Mike was blessed to have them as his parents. Prayers out to Mike.
Ruth was the sole of the Department from the beginning. In addition to being highly capable, she was a joy for all the students and faculty. My father, Frederick Rhines, considered himself very fortunate to have found her as he was starting the Department. And I enjoyed seeing her when I stopped by so many times beginning in 1959 on. My thanks that Ruth was part of our lives.
Mrs. Whitehead was an indispensable part of the Materials Department while I was on the faculty for twenty years from 1964 to 1985. Â My wife and I both enjoyed knowing her, for her expertise and her pleasant personality. Â She was a special person in our lives.
From my very first day as a faculty at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 1964, Mrs. Whitehead was the soul and the Boss of our starting department. She run the show and treated faculty, students, and staff with equal kindness and professionality which earned her the respect of everybody. I never called her by her first name but only as Mrs. Whitehead out of respect.
I am sorry we lost Mrs. Whitehead.  She was very competent and efficient in everything she did.  The department would not have been the same without her.  Her importance to the department was well recognized, as evidence in her being referred to as Mrs.Whithead.  She will be missed but lives on  in the history of the department and in our memories.Â
When I arrived as a clerk typist in the Materials Science Department in 1974, it was Mrs. Whitehead's quiet, steadfast work ethic that taught me how to be a good employee. I learned that you don't have to work only from 8 AM to 5 PM, that you can give a little extra to be a caring, helpful person to those who are new to the workplace or who need assistance. She taught me so much just by being herself, teaching by example. She was a wonderful, dear woman and she holds a special place in my memories. My life was made more special with her in it, and I wish peace and blessings to her family.