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WORCESTER – Ruth A. (Whitehead) Walker, age 96, passed away on Thursday, July 14, 2022 at Beaumont Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center in Westborough. Born in Lynn, she was the daughter of the late William and Elizabeth (Taylor) Whitehead. During her teenage years, Ruth worked in various department stores. After graduating from high school in Lynn, Ruth worked as a payroll clerk at Forbes Lithograph-Manufacturing Co. for many years, where she fell in love with her co-worker, Dudley Walker. They were married on October 15, 1949, and resided in Peabody, Beverly, and finally settled in Holden. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Ruth worked at Lady Foot Shoes in Lincoln Plaza in Worcester. After her husband’s passing, Ruth took on walking. Despite what fellow passerby walkers thought, she wasn’t listening to any traditional artist on her old-fashioned transistor radio. She took that time to catch up on sport’s radio, specifically football. Whether it be ice skating, golf or football, she simply loved sports. As so often told by her friends and family, Sundays are not for cooking. Sundays are for football! As an avid beach goer, Ruth enjoyed her trips to the beaches of Cape Cod and Maine. A voracious reader, she became well known at the Gale Free Library in Holden, often checking out bags full of books on each visit. She is survived by her son, Richard D. Walker and his wife, Lynne H. of Worcester; two grandchildren, Kate E. Holman and her husband, Mark, Justin B. Walker and his wife, Kathryne Dieter-Walker; and two great-grandchildren, Jack Walker Holman and Astrid Jane Walker. Ruth was predeceased by her husband, Dudley Walker, in 1989; her brother, John Whitehead; and two sisters, Sarah Hallissey and Millicent Whitehead. Following her wishes, the family will be holding a private graveside service in Salem at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gale Free Library, 23 Highland St., Holden, MA 01520. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit Ruth’s obituary at www.milesfuneralhome.com

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Ruth A. (Whitehead) Walker

May 22, 1926 - July 14, 2022