Ruth Bennett Williams

Ruth Bennett Williams, 98, passed away peacefully in her home on March 14, 2024. Ruth was born October 8, 1925, in Fort Worth, Texas to D.C. and Mary Ethel Estes Williams. She was the youngest daughter of their eight children and the last surviving sibling.

Ruth graduated from Royston High School and then Athens Business College in Athens, Georgia. In 1945, she moved to Atlanta and began her successful banking career at C&S Bank as a Proof Clerk. She rose through the ranks over the next 40 years to finish her career in 1985 as a Trust Department Vice President at Bank of America. During her career, she earned her American Institute of Banking graduate certificate in 1961 and her National Graduate Trust Diploma from the American Bankers Association at Northwestern University in 1975.

Throughout her career and after retirement, Ruth was an avid volunteer. She was very involved with her church, Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church where she was on numerous committees, was elected Deacon in 2003 and a Life Deacon in 2016. Ruth volunteered over 11,000 hours for the Piedmont Hospital Women’s Auxiliary even serving as Treasurer. One of her favorite volunteer memories was working at the 1996 Olympics.

Ruth loved playing bridge and traveling. Her love of travel started with a trip to Europe in 1955 and continued throughout her life. She visited over 30 countries including a favorite trip to Russia in 1985 with the Atlanta Ballet.

More than anything, Ruth loved her family and was a devoted daughter, sister, and aunt. She had 13 nieces and nephews, 26 great nieces and nephews and 29 great-great nieces and nephews who all loved their “Aunt Bootsie”. She is survived by her nieces Judith Lewis Hennen and Mary Ann Demster and nephews Larry Rouse, James Parker Jr., George M. Reed Jr., Thad Williams, Don Williams, Robert H. Fox Jr., Brooks Fox, and Winter Fox.

Thank you to Marie Gam, Janice Brown, Sheron Lemmons and Amy Sertch from Personal Care for your outstanding and attentive care of Ruth during the last few years.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, April 12, 2024, at 11AM at New Silverbrook Cemetery, 440 East Shockley Ferry Road, Anderson SC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ruth’s honor to Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church at https://onrealm.org/spdl/-/form/give/now