Mary Ruth Sortet

Mary Ruth Sortet, age 88 passed away peacefully with her children by her side on June 10th,
2020.
Mary Ruth was born on July 12, 1931 to William Alex and Ruth McClendon in Birmingham,
AL. She is predeceased by her parents, her sister Carolyn DeMarco and her husband of 64 years,
Arthur E. Sortet. She is also survived by her sister Alexa Ann (James) Tolbert of Perryville, MD
and sister-in-law Mary Jean Sortet of Lincoln, CA. Mary Ruth is also survived by Rebecca Susan
(James) Withee of Boca Raton, FL, David (Marcia) Sortet of Jackson, TN, Joseph Sortet of
Jackson, TN, Ruth Sortet of Jackson, TN, Tim (Tammy) Sortet of Tulsa, OK, Mary Patrice
(Stephen) Combs of Titusville, FL. 10 Grand Children and 14 Great Grand Children as well as
many nieces and nephews.
Mary Ruth attended Auburn University where she met her husband Arthur. After, many years of
raising her children, Mrs. Sortet enjoyed volunteering as Director of BETA in Titusville, FL
which is a crisis pregnancy center. She enjoyed painting watercolors and writing poetry for
which she has won several awards.
In their later years Arthur and Mary Ruth enjoyed traveling extensively all over the world and
going for long journeys all over the country in their 5 th wheel camper. They moved to Jackson,
TN from Titusville, FL in 2006 and made many friends in their neighborhood community as well
as their church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She was devoted to her faith in God and in the latter
years, Father David Graham was a source of inspiration and counsel after the death of her
husband Arthur.
Services will be Monday, June 15 th at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Jackson, TN. Visitation will
be at 10:00 am and rosary at 10:45 am with the Funeral Mass at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Research Center
or Tunnels to Towers Foundation for armed services and first responders and Birth Choice of
Jackson.