Obituary of Ruth Charlotte DeStefano
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Ruth Charlotte (Bell) DeStefano, (Nana), passed away peacefully on April 11, 2024, in Shenandoah, Texas, at the age of 98. She was born on January 12, 1926, in New York, New York. Ruth was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend.
Ruth is survived by her daughter, Debra (Debbie) McNamara-Johnson, and her husband Rodney Johnson, her grandson Jude McNamara and his wife Lauren McNamara, her granddaughter Halley McNamara-Martin and her husband Cole Martin, as well as her great-grandchildren Riley Cole Martin, Norah McNamara, Joseph McNamara, and Harper Martin. She is also survived by her nieces Lynn Egan, Barbara Blumenthal, Linda Paternoster, step-grandchildren Christa Barreras, Kellie Johnson, Matt Johnson, and additional loving step-great-grandchildren, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-great-grandnephew Owen.
Ruth was preceded in death by her best friend and loving husband of 60 years, Joseph E. DeStefano who she met and fell in love with when she was 11 and he was 12, her sister Dorothy Williams, her brother Howard Bell and her nephew David William. In 1975 when Ruth's husband Joe's employer, The Arabian American Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) moved from New York City to Texas, the family relocated to Houston. Ruth enjoyed her life in Houston but always remembered and cherished her northern roots. She vowed never to lose her New York accent which is something she gracefully and proudly accomplished.
She pursued higher education at NYU and had a diverse career, working at The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company as a bookkeeper, Chemical Corn Exchange Bank as a commercial teller, St. Helena's Grade School as a librarian, and the University of St. Thomas as a bookstore manager.
Ruth enjoyed reading, her weekly visit to the hairdresser and spending time with family and friends. She will always be remembered for her amazing tomato sauce, better known as "Nana's Sghetti."
A grave side service will be held at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas, at 12:15PM on Friday, June 21, 2024.
Friends are invited to a Celebration of Ruth's Life which will be held at Landry's Seafood House, 1212 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands, Texas, from 2:00 PM till 4:00 PM on Friday, June 21, 2024.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital in memory of Ruth DeStefano.
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