Ruth Harrington Lavin

Ruth Harrington Lavin, 83, of Spotsylvania, passed away on January 1, 2025. Ruth was born in Dover, Delaware, to Helen and Harry Harrington. She met her husband, John “Jack” Lavin in high school and they were married shortly after. Jack was a proud airman in the US Air Force and Ruth proudly stepped into the role of military wife. The Air Force took the family to many locations, including Alaska, North Carolina, Virginia, Japan, the Philippines, and Nebraska. While in the Philippines at Clark Air Force Base, Ruth started her career as a secretary in the civil service. In 1983, Jack retired from the Air Force and the family settled back in Virginia. In 2011, Jack and Ruth moved to Spotsylvania where they purchased the family home - complete with a pool to host their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ruth loved the family get-togethers and Fourth of July pool parties, always with her favorite Dungeness crab legs. When the pool was full of laughing great-grandkids, she was a happy lady. The family had many years of good times and memories of Ruth bringing the family together there. Besides her family, Ruth loved animals. One of her favorite things was watching and feeding the wildlife at her home. One year she had a momma deer and her brand new baby who came every night to be fed by Ruth. She always made sure the wildlife didn’t go hungry by putting corn feed out daily. Ruth even asked her family to make sure whoever buys the house knows they need to feed the deer. She will be loved and missed by all of her family, including her woodland friends. Ruth is survived by two sons, Dean Michael Lavin (Michelle) and Jeffrey Alan Lavin (Gina); 10 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and other loving extended family. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 63 years, Jack Lavin, and her son, John Francis Lavin, Jr. A funeral service will be held at noon on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at Found and Sons Funeral Chapels, 10719 Courthouse Rd., Fredericksburg. Her family will receive friends one hour prior. Interment will be held at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to the SPCA of Fredericksburg, 10819 Courthouse Road, Fredericksburg, Va. 22407.

Ruth Harrington Lavin

September 26, 1941 - January 1, 2025