Helen Ruth Willingham

Helen Ruth Willingham, 91, passed away October 23, 2012 with her family at her side. She was born in Shawnee, OK on April 13, 1921. She was the only child of Leslie Raymond Gilpin and Lulu Vandaveer Gilpin. Helen Ruth moved to Oklahoma City at age 8 and later graduated from Central High School where she met the love of her life, Bruce Harold Willingham. She earned her BA degree at Oklahoma City University. Helen Ruth and Bruce were married on June 3, 1945. She began her 37 year professional career as a math teacher at Taft Junior High School. In 1958 she began teaching at Northwest Classen High School where she was a sponsor of the Cygnet Pep Club. Helen Ruth is survived by her sweet sister-in-love, Fleeta Baker of Oklahoma City, her two daughters and their husbands, Judy and Gary Ransom of Lenexa, Kansas and Jeanine and John Randall of Edmond, OK, her grandchildren, Matt and Tricia Johnson of Denver, CO, Cameron and Amy Johnson of Guthrie, OK, Tyler and Jennifer Johnson, Daniel and Amy Johnson, Sarah and Brian Hale, all of Edmond, OK, Jessica and Jeremy Case of Jenks, OK, Caitlin Taylor and her soon to be husband, Tyler Bishop of Oklahoma City, Casey and Whitney Ransom, and Ben Ransom, all of Edmond, OK, and her 16 precious great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving parents and her cherished husband. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 25, 2012 at Chapel Hill Funeral Home with interment following in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Condolences may be made at www.chapelhill-okc.com.