Obituary of Ruth H Thomson

Ruth Janet Hill Thomson, a lifelong resident of Peapack–Gladstone, died on March 4, 2014, at the Bridgeway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Bridgewater, NJ. She was 94. Born September 5, 1919, Ruth was the youngest of four children of the late Garner Ferris Hill and Anna May Belton of Peapack–Gladstone. Her beloved siblings included the late Lillian Evelyn (Dottie) Bailey, Theodore Leonard Hill, and Grace Marie Kagan. After 52 years of marriage, Ruth's husband, James Bruce Thomson, died in 1994 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Ruth is survived by three sons, James Bruce Thomson of Pottersville; Robert Drew Thomson of Asheville, NC; and William Barry Thomson of Williamsburg, MA and New York City. Other survivors include her grandchildren, James Bruce Thomson III and Anne Martti Thomson; a great-grandchild, Benjamin James Thomson; her daughters-in-law; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who expressed their love and devotion to Ruth in many ways throughout her life, but particularly during her last months. For these many acts of kindness her family will be forever grateful. Ruth was graduated with honors in 1940 from what is now Arcadia University where she was the managing editor of the school newspaper. A double major in chemistry and mathematics, Ruth was employed before, and for a time during, World War II at the Thomas Edison Laboratories in West Orange, NJ. With her husband, Jim, serving as a pilot in the United States Navy during World War II, Ruth decided to obtain her own pilot's license, completing her civilian flight training by soloing on V-E Day in 1945. A lifelong and active member of the Peapack Reformed Church, Ruth was an early proponent for increased ecumenism among the borough's four churches. She was also active in many civic and non-profit endeavors. Among many other things, she served as the first chairperson of the Peapack–Gladstone Historic Preservation Commission, contributed numerous articles concerning local history and culture for "The Black River Journal," chaired fund raising committees for the Somerset Hills Community Chest, volunteered at the Save Ellis Island Foundation, and counseled and tutored young women who had been incarcerated at the state correctional facility in Clinton. A memorial service to celebrate Ruth's life will be held on Saturday, May 3, at 10 AM at the Peapack Reformed Church, 224 Main Street, Gladstone, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ruth's memory to The Willowwood Foundation, P.O. Box 218, Gladstone, NJ 07934; the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, Adult Day Center, 200 Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 (or online at visitingnurse.org); or the Peapack Reformed Church, P.O. Box 253, Gladstone, NJ 07934. Throughout her long life Ruth reached out to help others in many unsung ways. A most fitting way to honor Ruth's memory would be for her many friends to, as the saying goes, "pay it forward" by reaching out to someone in need and offering help or just a kind, supportive word.