Ruth Stewart Brandt

Ruth Rebholz Stewart Brandt died peacefully on February 2, 2024 just the way she wanted, in her own home with her family close by. She was born on June 5, 1925 to parents Anna Marie Kinast and Sylvester John Rebholz. Raised in Pittsburgh, PA she graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School and attended Bethany College in West Virginia. At age 20 Ruth took a very long train ride to California to marry high school sweetheart, Joe Stewart, who was in the Air Force and stationed in Salinas, CA. They were married on August 3, 1945 and soon returned to the east coast and settled in Buffalo, NY where they had three children and Joe worked as the Vice President of Buffalo Electric Company. To escape the harsh Buffalo winters, they later moved to Gainesville, FL and finally settled in Tallahassee in 1968 where Joe worked on the new Arvah Hopkins Power Plant. Unfortunately, Joe died of a heart attack in 1969 at the age of 44. Ruth quickly went to work for Sears in the business office, did bookkeeping for the Olin Powder Plant and obtained her real estate and brokers’ licenses. She particularly enjoyed being the on-site sales rep for Chez Sois and Centerville Townhomes and Westwood Condominiums. A neighbor introduced Ruth to the recently widowed local businessman, Buddy Brandt (Buddy’s Sporting Goods and Marine). They eventually married and enjoyed 10 years together until Buddy’s death in 1984. Ruth quickly returned to Pittsburgh to take care of her aging parents. In 1999 Ruth returned to Tallahassee and enjoyed being closer to her children and her Killearn Ladies Club friends, attending their luncheons and Needle Craft Group meetings. Ruth hated house cleaning but loved shopping, sewing, gardening, hanging laundry on a clothesline, her La-Z-Boy recliner, wearing muumuus, ice cream, breakfast, toast with big hunks of butter, coffee, and anything chocolate with nuts. She survived colon cancer at age 82 and mastered life with a colostomy. She was a selfless caregiver to two husbands and her parents, a loyal friend and neighbor and a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Some of Ruth’s favorite sayings are, take all you want but eat all you take, sit on your purse and don’t talk to strangers, waste not want not, it’s easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble, bloom where you are planted, stop to smell the roses and spit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one has the most. Ruth is survived by her three children, Anne “Holly” Stewart Prugh (Pete) of Gainesville, Sue Stewart Rice (Ron) and Joe Stewart (Debbie) of Tallahassee, seven grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. A private family service will take place at a later date in Tallahassee. Todd Wahlquist is assisting the family with their arrangements (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com).

Tributes

Ruth Stewart Brandt

June 5, 1925 - February 2, 2024