Ruth Anne Rusty Coffin

Ruth Anne (“Rusty”) Coffin died peacefully August 5th in her home town of Wakefield, RI. Born and raised in Columbus, OH, Ruth Anne Hendrickson was the beloved child of Mark C. and Helen Laylin Hendrickson. She completed her formal education at the Madeira School in Virginia and Bryn Mawr College (ex-1945) in Pennsylvania. In 1944, she married Tristram P. Coffin, to whom she was happily wed for 67 years. She devoted her life to her family, raising four children, while also working in administration at both The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA and the University of Rhode Island. A lover of literature and the arts, she continued her education by auditing courses at URI for the rest of her life. Mrs. Coffin was a member of the Merion Cricket Club (Haverford, PA), the Dunes Club (Narragansett, RI), the Point Judith Country Club (Narragansett, RI), and the URI University Club (Kingston, RI), and for a number of years served on the South Kingstown Planning Board. A fellowship in her name and Dr. Coffin’s was funded by William G. Bowen, former President of Princeton University and of the Mellon Foundation. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Tristram P. Coffin, Professor (ret’d.) of English Literature and American Folklore at the University of Pennsylvania, daughters Patricia C. Fry (Tim) of New York, NY and Priscilla (“Ricki”) C. Widlak (John) of Port St. Lucie, FL, sons Mark T. Coffin (Beth-Ann) of Gates Mills, OH and Jonathan P. Coffin (Nancy) of Greenwich, CT, 11 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. A private memorial celebration of her life will be held at a future time.