Obituary for Virginia Rutledge

Virginia B. Rutledge, age 101, of Westerville, Ohio, passed away on February 1, 2022. She was born Mary Virginia Babb on June 29, 1920, to Claude and Alice Babb. Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Donald Babb, and her loving husband of 63 years, John Rutledge. She is survived by her two daughters, Karen Brown of Westerville and Barbara (Ray) Lewis of Memphis, Tennessee, five grandchildren – Corey Brown of Texas, Christie Lewis, Amy Lewis, and Annette (Justin) Gord, all of Memphis, and Bonnie Lewis of Nashville, Tennessee – a great-granddaughter, Lacey Gates, of Ohio, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Virginia graduated from Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Ohio, and then attended BaldwinWallace University where she received her B.S. in nutrition. She was employed for 15 years at Wyeth Pharmaceutical Company in Philadelphia and was part of a six-person team that made the first batches of the Salk polio vaccine. She and John were married in Pennsylvania in 1956 and then moved to Columbus. Virginia helped establish the preschool program at Central College Presbyterian Church in Westerville and volunteered, along with John, in the food pantry at CCPC and at CAPA theaters in Columbus. She also loved ballroom dancing with her husband and playing clarinet with the Westerville Community Band for many years. She was a devoted wife and mother.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, February 19th at Central College Presbyterian Church. Internment will be at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Central College Presbyterian Church, 975 S. Sunbury Rd., Westerville, OH 43081.