James (Jim) R. Ruth, 82, passed away, with his family by his side, on Dec. 28 at the Rutland Regional Medical Center (Rutland, Vermont) after a short illness, Electrical Apparatus has learned.
Born in Easton, Pennsylvania March 20, 1940, Jim Ruth was the son of Francis “Jack” Ruth and Gilma (Sinclair), of Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Easton High School in 1958 and went to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. After college, while working at Riegel Paper Company in Milford, New Jersey, he took courses at Trenton Junior College and Lafayette College.
From 1963-1969, he was an Air Force Reservist in Lackland, Texas and Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. In 1966, he married Mary Louisa Eichel of Milford, New Jersey at Trinity Episcopal Church, Easton, Pennsylvania. They first lived in Jutland, New Jersey before moving to Mendon, in 1968 when Ruth became the project manager for the gondola expansion at Killington. He was later a salesman for Allied Bearing and then U.S. Samica. In 1986, Jim purchased Vermont Plating in Rutland with his brother-in-law, Bob Weisel, later becoming the sole proprietor. He was active on the Mendon Planning Board but got his greatest joy visiting with friends and family at his hunting camp; many lifelong friendships and stories were formed there.
Overall, Ruth was in the electrical insulation industry for 22 years and was well-known to many companies. In 1978, Jim was the Purchasing Agent for USSAMICA CORP, former Isola company (HQ in Breytenbach, Switzerland), largest electrical insulation private company in the world and later to be purchased by UTC/Essex in 1983. Jim was promoted to an Executive Sales Engineer for Essex/VonRoll Isola specializing in the medium and high voltage insulation. In 1990 VonRoll separated from Essex and started its own operations for North/South America, directed by CEO Kevin M. Sheehy and team of former Essex/VonRoll executives. In 1995 VonRoll/Isola under the direction of Sheehy, the purchasing of the former GE division Insulation Material Inc.(IMI), which at the time was privately owned. Jim was promoted to Sr. Customer Representative for VonRoll in Schenectady, NY, overseeing all the VonRoll/Isola products. Jim’s career span 22 years in the electrical insulation industry where Jim developed many professional and personal friends in the USA, Canada, and Europe.
Jim is survived by his wife Mary and their three children, Alex (Cheri) Ruth of Redwood City, California, Andrew Ruth of Southington, Connecticut, and Abigail (Brian) English of Mendon, 12 grandchildren, Noah, Luke, Naomi, Faith, Levi, Seth, Sam, and Eli English, Grady and Riley Francis Ruth, and Zoe and Jack Ruth, a great grandson, Clayton English, his sister, Ann Weisel, of Simsbury, Connecticut and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother-in-law, Bob Weisel, and his daughter-in-law, Lori Hedden Francis (Ruth), according to a January 11 obituary in The Mountain Times.
No services will be held, a celebration of life will be planned for summer in Vermont. His family would like to thank family and friends, the staff of Rutland Regional Medical Center, the Regional Ambulance Service, the Pines Nursing Facility; who assisted in his care, as well as Rev. Sarah Ginolfi and the prayerful members of Trinity Church, and Pastor Vinnie Greene of the Roadside Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to Vermont Conservation for Hunting and Fishing or The Sunshine Fund at the Pines, 99 Allen Street, Rutland.
Editor's note: A special thanks to Kevin Sheehy for contributing to this obituary. Readers can see the full obituary in our March print issue.