Ruth E. (Worthley) Ormond

Postponement - Services for Ruth originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday will now be held on Friday and Saturday, January 30th and 31st.



Waltham – Mrs. Ruth E. (Worthley) Ormond, of Waltham, died Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Lahey Clinic in Burlington. She was 84.

Ruth was born on April 1, 1930, a daughter of the late Clifford and Marie (Fahrny) Worthley, and was raised in Strong, Maine. She graduated from high school in Falmouth, Maine and went on to nursing school at Maine General Hospital School of Nursing in Portland. Soon after she became a registered nurse.

Following her marriage in Portland, Maine to Providence, Rhode Island native Joseph X. Ormond, Jr. the couple moved to Brookline, Massachusetts before settling in Waltham in 1957 where they made home and raised their family. Joe and Ruth enjoyed fifty-three happy years together until Joe's death on February 5, 2007.

Ruth's first nursing position was at the New England Baptist Hospital in Boston where in 1964 she became Senator Ted Kennedy's private duty nurse helping in his long recovery from a broken back following a plane crash that claimed the life of the pilot and one of the Kennedy aides aboard the aircraft.

She later became an operating room nurse at Waltham Hospital where she worked for thirty-eight years. Never one to sit idly, and following her retirement from the hospital, Ruth embarked on two new careers; working as a school nurse at Kennedy Middle School and at Bright Elementary School while at the same time driving a cab for Waltham's Central Square Taxi. When she was 78 Ruth retired from those positions.

During her nursing career Ruth was delighted to have directed and produced three variety shows to benefit Waltham Hospital and its mission of caring for the community. She will long be remembered for her bright, engaging, upbeat and fun personality as well as the colorful hats and feather boas that she enjoyed wearing that matched her personality splendidly . . . in fact one of her requests was that those attending her wake wear something bright and cheerful to help better remember the joyfulness that she tried to bring to those she loved and who loved her back.

She leaves her children, Joseph X. Ormond, III and his wife, Susan, of Stow, Ann M. Ormond of Newburyport and Susan C. Ormond of Waltham; her grandchildren, Samantha and Lindsay Ormond; her sister, Dorothy Cleaver of Skowhegan, Maine and many nieces and nephews.

Ruth was also a sister of the late Laura Lambert and Bertha Murchison.

Family and friends will honor and remember Ruth's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Friday, January 30th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning before leaving in procession to Sacred Heart Church, 311 River Street, Waltham where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in Mount Feake Cemetery, Waltham.

Memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army, 33 Myrtle Street, Waltham, MA 02453.