Obituary
McDaniel, Ruth Bender 1935-2024
Ruth Bender McDaniel, 89, died in her sleep on October 29 at her home in Winter Park, Florida after being surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Ruth was born in Toledo, Ohio on May 15, 1935 to the late Martin and Eleanor Bender.
Raised in Toledo, Ruth was a member of the class of 1953 at Edward Drummond Libby High School. After attending DePauw University in 1957, Ruth received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Toledo University where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. Ruth went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Education from California State University, Northridge.
Ruth’s first love was for her three sons, and she dedicated herself to raising them as a single mother in Los Angeles beginning in the 1960s. After seeing them off to college, she soon retired from an accomplished and rewarding 35-year career teaching inner city youth in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She later moved to Winter Park to rejoin them and their families and to fully pursue her deferred passion for the arts, community and her Christian faith. She was an active member of many organizations including Opera Orlando and the Philharmonic Orchestra, for which she enthusiastically volunteered. She truly loved and dedicated herself to her children, their wives and grandchildren, and to many beloved friends in Winter Park and at the Mayflower where she lived happily for the past 14 years.
Ruth’s legacy of love survives in her sons Peter McDaniel (Cindy), David McDaniel (Rachel) and Matthew McDaniel; six grandchildren Michael and Ivy McDaniel, Eleanor, Lauren and Caroline McDaniel and Jackson McDaniel; her sisters Jane Foster and Sally Foster, and countless precious loved ones she held dear.
The family would like to thank the dedicated health care team at Advent Health Orlando and the entire staff at The Mayflower at Winter Park.
A memorial service is scheduled for January 4, 2025 at 2 o’clock at the First United Methodist Church, 125 N Interlachen Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32789, Rev. Philip Allred presiding.
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