THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 24, 1995 TAG: 9511220216
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 3B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEAN GEDDES, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Amos and Marion Ruddock share a love of many things - each other as well as poetry and their volunteer work at Virginia Beach General Hospital.
And somehow they've managed to combine them.
Their eyes twinkle when looking at each other. ``We're friends as well as lovers,'' said Amos Ruddock, 85, as he leafed through two volumes of his recent poetry. His wife Marion is 82.
On Fridays, the day they volunteer at the hospital, he carries out a loving ritual. Rising at 4 a.m. he carefully packs his wife's lunch box, enclosing a new poem he has written for her and has the box ready by the time they leave for their volunteer jobs about 7:30 a.m.
Marion Ruddock smiled when she recalled how they met 31 years ago in New York City when Amos Ruddock, a sales manager for Dow Chemical, walked into the office, spotted her on her first day of work as a fashion publicist for the firm and decided there and then that he would marry her. Two weeks later, taking her to lunch, he informed her of his plan.
``I was furious,'' exclaimed Marion Ruddock. ``Imagine. Telling me something like that when I was trying to learn a new job and him being the big boss.'' To his surprise, she flounced out of the restaurant. He quickly recovered however, hurried to the nearest florist and sent her flowers with a card that read: ``Just because you're you.''
She said, ``I realized that I would either have to quit my job or marry him. I began to think of him as a `darling' after that.''
From then on it was a whirlwind courtship with letters, poems and flowers filling her mailbox and home. They were married 52 days later.
``I promised her at that time that I would always carry her around on a velvet pillow and I think I've kept that promise.'' he said.
She added, ``These have been the happiest years of my life.''
Poetry has always come easily to Amos Ruddock. Even as a child he thought in rhymes, he said. ``I used to read about five books a week, but now, my eyesight isn't what it once was, so I am doing a lot more poetry.''
Looking much younger than their years in their red volunteer shirts, they both enjoy the hospital work and look forward to Fridays when they share their own happiness with others. Among other jobs, they help sort the mail, forward cards and letters on to patients who have been discharged or deliver flowers to current patient's rooms.
``The work here has enriched our lives,'' said Marion Ruddock. ``We've met some wonderful people. The young ones help keep us young and the older ones, we just love.''
Kay Meyer, director of volunteer services at the hospital, said her staff also looks forward to the weekly hours with the Ruddocks. They especially enjoy lunchtime. That's when Marion Ruddock opens her lunchbox and unfolds a small white piece of paper that holds Amos' weekly poem to her. After she takes a few minutes to reflect on the words, she shares it with the staff.
Marion Ruddock began her volunteer work after her husband had a brief hospital stay. Impressed with the volunteers while he was a patient, he suggested to his wife that she might like to try it. She did and since she began in May, 1979, she has clocked 2,701 volunteer hours. Amos Ruddock, who calls himself ``a late bloomer'' decided to join her in 1994 and so far has 354 hours to his credit. MEMO: Anyone interested in volunteering at Virginia Beach General Hospital can
call director Kay Meyer at 481-8360.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
``We're friends as well as lovers,'' said Amos Ruddock, 85, of his
wife, Marion, 82. They volunteer Fridays at Virginia Beach General
Hospital.
LOVE POEM
[For a copy of the poem, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB