Ruth Dowell Myers' Obituary
Myers, Ruth Dowell, a resident of Coral Gables and the Pinecrest area for 60 years passed away May 13, 2009 at age 86. Raised in Crookston and St. Paul, Minnesota, she graduated from the University of Minnesota and later earned a master’s degree from Florida International University. She taught at Kinloch Park Junior High and at Miami Killian Senior High where she touched many young people’s lives.
Ruth was active in many civic organizations in Miami-Dade, including the Junior League, the Miami Yacht Club, the University of Miami Women’s Guild, and the Kiwanis Club. She had the distinction of serving on the board of Kiwanis Club of Coral Gables, and in 2004, at age 81, was elected their first woman president. But her favorite role was serving as Kiwanis Key Club Advisor to Coral Gables High School. Ruth also was a passionate patron of the arts who was an early supporter of Beaux Arts, Friends of the Arts, the Miami Opera, the Miami Ballet, and the New World Symphony.
Horticulture was also a major interest for Ruth. In later years, she was happily engaged in supervising the Dowell family farm in Nevada, Iowa, and over her many decades of Miami residence she acquired a deep love for the unique Florida landscape. In recent years, Ruth was a Fellow and volunteered at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which she described as her garden refuge after Hurricane Andrew prompted her move from the family’s long-time Pinecrest residence to the Biltmore II condominium in Coral Gables. She loved life in greater Miami.
Ruth is survived by her three devoted children, Dowell (Susan Tuemmler), Hannah (Arthur Chan), daughter Austin, and two grandsons, Ben and Jesse. She also is survived by her sisters Hannah Kellogg Dowell of Washington, D.C., and Margaret D. Gravatt, MD, of Portland, Oregon.
A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, May 17th, at 2 pm in Moye Chapel, Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 DeSoto Blvd. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
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