Ruth Vinton

On Monday, July 12, 2021, Ruth Bailey Vinton, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away after an extended struggle with dementia at the age of 92. Born May 19, 1929, in Claremont, New Hampshire, she was the only daughter of Howard Perry Bailey and Helen Coolidge Bailey. Her elder brother, Fred C. Bailey, and twin brother, Richard H. Bailey, both predeceased her.

Ruth attended elementary schools in Claremont, NH, and graduated from Stevens High School in Claremont in 1947. Graduating from Russell Sage College of Troy, NY with a degree as a Laboratory Technician, Class of 1951, she then worked at the Putnam County Hospital in Greencastle, IN and at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, VT.

She married Drury Lane Vinton of Brattleboro, VT on August 1, 1953. They lived in El Paso, TX until January 1955, when Dru was honorably discharged from the Army. They then moved to St. Johnsbury, VT for two years and then settled in Lyndon in 1957.

In addition to her full devotion to her family, Ruth was very active in St. Johnsbury area community service, devoting thousands of hours to South Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury, the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Auxiliary, Caledonia Home Health Care and Hospice, the Girl and Boy Scouts, and many school activities that involved her five sons, and later her grandchildren. She was an avid golfer and served on the Board of Directors of the St. Johnsbury Country Club, becoming the first woman to be elected President of the Board.

After Dru’s retirement, she and Dru divided their time between St. Johnsbury, New London, NH, and Bandera, TX, until they moved to Quail Hollow in West Lebanon, NH. She was predeceased by Dru in 2019.

Ruth will be lovingly remembered by her family: son William C. and wife Jane; Karen, the wife of son Jacob P. who predeceased Ruth in 2016; son Robert C. and wife Ulli; son Drury C. and wife Jeanette; son John B.; 11 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Ruth spent her declining years in the Grafton County Nursing Home, where she was cared for with love, patience and good humor. Special thanks go to nurse Kari, who is a model of what compassionate and patient-centered care looks like in practice.

There will be no calling hours. A service of remembrance will be held at South Church Hall on the St. Johnsbury Academy campus on Saturday, July 31st at 11 AM.  If you wish to remember Ruth, please donate to the “Cure Alzheimer’s Fund”, 24 Washington Street, Suite 200, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02481, or visit https://curealz.org/