Obituaries

Ruth Berrien Nesbitt Proctor, 82, of Atlanta, died peacefully at Hospice Atlanta on Thursday, November 5. She was surrounded by her three daughters, Claire Marsh of Richmond, VA; Sara Proctor of McCoy, VA and Rebecca Proctor of Ithaca, New York, and her granddaughter, Hannah Siburt of Gainesville, FL.

Ruth, nicknamed "Peaches" by her friends, was the youngest of six children born to Claire Fletcher and Thomas Nesbitt of Cordele, GA. Her sister, Ann Miller of Spartanburg, SC. and many beloved nieces and nephews survive her.

Her daughters loved hearing the stories of her childhood in Cordele: the rodeo in her backyard: the meteorite which fell on her farm; the frightening tornado which left the family and friends unharmed but took everything else; her election to Watermelon Queen; the tale of a member of the Pretty Boy Floyd gang hiding on the family farm; elaborate childhood theater productions with her cousin Parrish complete with costume changes and music; and her escapades with her first cousin and best friend, Martha Churchwell Pavelka. Ruth’s remarkable story telling imparted a love of lore, fantasy, imagination and humor to her children. Her accomplished talents in managing her home finds her three daughters in various fields of design.

Like her mother and paternal grandmother, Ruth attended Wesleyan College in Macon, GA where she met her future husband, Sam Proctor of Baltimore, MD. Sam was a recruit at Camp Wheeler. As a jazz pianist, he won Ruth’s heart with his musical ability and delightful sense of humor. After her graduation, the couple married and moved to Baltimore. Ruth taught at Roland Park Country Day School while Sam was in Korea and in law school. The early years of their marriage were spent raising children, holding jazz nights in the living room of their Beechdale Road home, and enjoying family events with their close friends and their children. 

Ruth moved to Atlanta in 1983 and became marketing director at Lenbrook Square Retirement Community. Although Ruth’s health declined after her retirement from Lenbrook, she continued to enjoy her bridge club, her many friends, and First Presbyterian Church. She particularly enjoyed the attention of her three daughters and staying in touch with her grandchildren: Miklos and Alexandra Scheer; Hannah Siburt and Henry Wakley; and Alexei Aceto.  

 A graveside service will be held at Sunnyside Cemetery in Cordele Sunday, November 8 at 2 p.m. The memorial service will be at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 9. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that gifts be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta Men’s Breakfast or Visiting Nurse/Hospice Atlanta, Office of Advancement, 6610 Bay Circle, Suite C, Norcross, Georgia 30071.