Ruby Hilda Starkes (nee White)

The funeral service for Ruby Starkes will be livestreamed through the St. John’s Citadel’s YouTube page.

Please click  here  for the link.

Passed peacefully away at the Leonard Miller Centre Palliative Care unit Ruby Hilda (White) Starkes.

Ruby was predeceased by her parents George and Jessie White; her brother Cluney White; parents-in-law George and Clara Starks; her brothers and sisters-in-law June White, Alex and Jean (Starks) Neville, Charlie and Jean (White) Starkes, Chesley Starks, Kathleen Starks, Bill Hynes, Harold and Mary (Starks) Cofield, George and Mable Reid (Starks), Hubert and Lorraine (Starks) Underhay, Gordon Wilson, Robert and Eleanor (Starkes) Churchill.

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Fred; her sons Jason and Gregory (Pam Tucker); grandchildren Eric and Emily Starkes, Elsie (Edward) Hynes, Janie (Eric) Parsons in Dawson Creek B.C.; her brother George (Cindy) White in Whitehorse Yukon Territory; brother-in-law Bill (Maude Pittman) Starks; sisters-in-law Marie Hynes, Maisie Wilson, and a number of nieces and nephews, as well as a number of other relatives.

Born in Greenspond, BB. in 1942. She was always proud of the community where she was born.

She met Fred in 1962. He had asked her to ice skate with her (band) at the Old Prince of Wales Arena. The following day: she went to the UIC to register her unemployment insurance because she had been laid off. Lo and behold who was assigned to her was non other than Fred. From there the relationship flourished (always wonder wither or not that was a conflict of interest). Who would have thought that two boyhood friends Frank King and one who had nothing better to do than play tennis together at Bowring Park and ice and roller skated (in season) each and everyday, would meet two girls who went to school together would be their lifelong partner for over 50 years. We were truly blessed.

She was a shy, kind and caring person. She would never say anything against anybody. Always in the background, never tiring, a person people would love have on their team.

Ruby really enjoyed sports. She bowled both 5 and 10 pin. She played softball and darts in Mount Pearl, but what won her heart was curling. She curled in two national tournaments: mixed with Roger Mabey, Cynthia Young, Fred Starkes and the senior ladies as lead on Sue Ann Bartlett’s team.

She had many friends both at the St. John’s and Bally Haly curling clubs but none so strong as “The Girls”. They would celebrate each of their birthdays, Christmas, Girls Weekends, Golf, all eight of them, one would say they were all joined at the hip. Barb Dawson, Tish Tiller, Leslie Ann Walsh, Pam Osborne, Diane Roberts, Tina Horlick and Annette Feehan. You were truly friends, and the family thank you for being part of Ruby’s life.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Miller Centre Palliative Care Unit for their loving care and devotion as they attend to Ruby during her last 2 and a half months spent there. You are truly the Florence Nightingales of your profession.

The family will be accepting visitors at Carnell’s Funeral Home at 329 Freshwater Road, on Tuesday, August 26 from 2-4 and 7-9. A funeral service will take place at the Salvation Army Citadel on Adams Avenue, on Wednesday August 27 at 2 pm. There will be an inurnment immediately following the service at the Salvation Army Cemetery on Blackmarsh Road.

No flowers by request, donations may be made to the Salvation Army, Cancer Society, the Diabetes Association, or to Glioblastoma research.