Waterloo - Ruth M Rockey, aged 87 years, passed away in her sleep the night of May 20, 2012 at Huntington Living Center in Waterloo. The cause of death was complications from a fall.

She was born Ruth Romaine Miller on January 4, 1925 in Geneva, NY to Floyd Earl Miller and Martha Matilda Miller (ne: Sheats).   Her siblings Alden P. “Bud” Miller and Sheldon G. Miller predeceased her.  She spent most of her childhood in Sugar Valley Pennsylvania in the village of Greenburr near Loganton.   It is there that she met and married Walter R. Rockey on December 8, 1943.

After World War II, in which Walter served in the merchant marine, they settled in Geneva, NY.   Their only child Steven W. Rockey was born in Geneva in 1948.  They moved to Waterloo and bought the house at 1 Douglas Drive in the fall of 1952 and resided there as a loving couple until Walter’s death on July 13, 2010.

Ruth was an accomplished seamstress and later in life developed into a fine painter.  With the birth of their grandchildren Ben Rockey-Harris in 1982 and Kate Rockey-Harris in 1984, Walter and Ruth entered into a new phase of life that included an incredibly close and loving relationship with the grandchildren, Steve and his partner Janie Harris.

Through the years when Ben & Kate were growing up, the whole family was together often and the kids spent time in Waterloo with Walter & Ruth.   Walter & Ruth loved to travel and they instilled this love in Steve and it has been passed on to Ben and Kate.   When Walter and Ruth spent part of the winter in Melbourne, Florida Steve, Janie, Ben and Kate flew down to spend time with them every year.   This shared love of winter trips to Melbourne remains an active part of our family life.

In addition to being pre-deceased by her parents, siblings, and all her in-laws, she is predeceased by Janie Harris who she thought of as her daughter.   She is survived by Steven of Ithaca; Ben of Washington, DC; and Kate and her fiancé Greg Wolski, who was very dear to her, of Jersey City.   Nieces and nephews in Pennsylvania also survive Ruth, she was especially close to Vicky. Ruth was very close to and greatly enjoyed time with Cindy Thurston of Waterloo.

The family wants to express their unending gratitude to all of the incredibly caring and supportive staff at the Huntington Living Center’s Special Needs Unit that made Ruth’s last years so nice that she came to think of it as home.   Michael and Crystal were especially important to Ruth and to Steve.

In keeping with the wishes of the family there will be no calling hours or service.  Arrangements have been entrusted to the Coe-Genung Funeral Home in Waterloo.