Ruth Timanus Eddy died on Oct. 7, 2011, at the home of her daughter and sonâ€inâ€law in Carrboro after a long illness. She is survived by her daughters, Nancy Eddy and Susan Julian, and her grandchildren, Kristin Julian, Eszter Julian, Lulu Julian, Sophia Marx and Sonya Marx.
Mrs. Eddy, daughter of William Martin Timanus and Ida Eberhart, was born in Baltimore, Md., May 6, 1920. After attending Gettysburg College and Towson State Teachers College, she worked for the Maryland Pilots’ Association and the Baltimore Department of Public Instruction. In August 1949, she married Justus Blaine Eddy Jr. The couple lived first in Chicago, then Wooster, Ohio, before moving back to Baltimore. She spent the first years of her marriage being the wonderfully creative and involved mother of her daughters, Susan and Nancy.
After her husband’s death in October 1963, Mrs. Eddy courageously finished her undergraduate degree at Towson State College. Moving her family to North Carolina, she graduated from UNCâ€Chapel Hill with a master’s degree in library science. She became the outspoken librarian of Estes Hill Elementary School, famous for her storytelling ability, her colorful clothing, her hats and her beautiful white hair. She turned many students into lifelong readers and proclaimed that books were meant to be read and shared, not enshrined on shelves.
When Mrs. Eddy retired in 1990, she pursued many interests, traveling widely, teaching bridge, campaigning for political candidates and working with the group who established the first Chapel Hill Senior Center. She was a longtime supporter of the N.C. Zoo and the N.C. Art Museum, and loved live theater, dance performances and the circus, interests she shared and fostered in her children and grandchildren. Mrs. Eddy was also an ardent and faithful Carolina sports, and Woody Durham, fan.
Her family remembers her as a flamboyant and colorful bridge and cribbage player. She was never afraid to speak her mind, often and publicly. She wrote marvelously entertaining correspondence to family and friends. To the last, Mrs. Eddy adored chocolate, which her family would like to think accounts for her longevity. Above all, she loved the ocean and the beach, another gift she shared with her children and grandchildren.
The family would like to thank everyone who cared for Mrs. Eddy during her final illness.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity or to the N.C. Zoo or the N.C. Museum of Art.