Daughter, Sister, Mother, Teacher, Cook, Manager, Servant, Believer—no matter which title you knew her by, it could always be paired with Friend.Ruth Ann Dooty lived her life grounded in Christian faith, service, family, and caring for others. After a long struggle with a failing body but a strong mind, Ruth Ann went to sleep and awoke with her Savior, Jesus, on September 17, 2026.Ruth Ann was born to Stanley John and Ruth Esther Moucka in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on November 13, 1948. She had one sibling, Betty Jane McDaniel, and graduated from Meeker High School in 1967.As a young woman, Ruth Ann worked at the State Fair and at Bea Britton’s. Soon after graduating from high school, she met Bob Dooty across the counter at Bea Britton’s—the man with whom she would build a family and share her life. Ruth Ann and Bob were married on June 10, 1969. They shared 34 years of marriage until Bob’s passing in 2003. Even after his death, she remained devoted to him and loved him for the rest of her life.Ruth Ann helped raise two of Bob’s sons in the early years of their marriage. In March 1973, their family grew with the birth of their first daughter, Tara, followed by Heather in May 1976. This was the first time Ruth Ann lived away from Meeker, as the family spent time in Sallisaw, Oklahoma and Fort Smith, Arkansas, before moving back to Meeker in 1976. Their daughter Alicia was born in August 1980. Raising their family three and a half miles east of the stoplight on Highway 62, Ruth Ann was a proud, lifelong resident of Meeker, Oklahoma.Ruth Ann had a gift for taking care of people, and throughout her life, work and ministry became the same. She babysat children and later worked for Meeker schools as a cook, eventually becoming Head Cook. She also faithfully served Meeker Assembly of God in countless ways—as a custodian, Missionettes and Sunday School teacher, preparing Wednesday night dinners, and serving as a counselor at children’s and youth camps. She made clothing from sheets donated to missions, sewed masks during COVID, and participated in prison ministry. Whether she was cooking, sewing, teaching, or caring for someone in need, Ruth Ann served others as a way of showing the love of Jesus and giving hands and feet to her faith.From 2014 until 2021, her love of cooking and serving found a special home at Oklahoma Youth Camp in Sparks, Oklahoma, where Ruth Ann served as Food Service Manager and Head Cook. The work was tiring and the hours were demanding, but she relished those summers and the opportunity to care for the campers, staff, and others around her. She was known for going above and beyond, including treating the staff to cinnamon rolls at the end of a long week. Her work at Youth Camp was one of her proudest accomplishments, and she considered that ministry a high point of her many years of service.After retiring from camp and experiencing multiple health setbacks, Ruth Ann moved to Legends at Council Road in Oklahoma City in 2024, where she could receive additional support. Despite the pain she dealt with and the uncertainty of living in the “big city,” Ruth Ann made many friends. She enjoyed chats with friends at mealtimes, crafts with Sara and Dee, Bingo, outings, weekly church services, and had recently discovered a love for reading cozy mysteries. She was both proud of and amazed by how much she loved to read. Before long, she would even turn down Bingo to read another chapter. As it turned out, all those years she simply had not sat still long enough to read much—except, of course, her Sunday School lessons and morning devotions.Ruth Ann was also a prayer warrior who continually prayed for family, friends, visitors, and those caring for her at Legends. Many have shared that even when they came to encourage Ruth Ann, they often left feeling that she had encouraged, prayed for, and blessed them instead.In addition to a life of hard work and service, Ruth Ann loved ceramics, sewing, crocheting, and vegetable gardening. She was fiercely independent, endlessly energetic, and always busy with something. She loved her daughters and grandchildren deeply and was incredibly proud of each of them and their individual gifts. She often bragged about them to whomever she happened to be talking with. Ruth Ann loved Fall, pumpkin creamer, and baking. Oh, and we can’t leave out Taco Bueno, Whoppers candies, and a piece of coconut cream pie.Ruth Ann’s life and contributions can’t be captured in this brief history. Her legacy lives on in the people she fed, the children she taught, the people she ministered to, and the family she raised and loved. Ask anyone who knew her and they will each have their own Ruth Ann story to tell.Those who loved Ruth Ann can take comfort in knowing that the Savior she served throughout her life was waiting for her when her earthly struggle was over.Ruth Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Bob Dooty, and her parents, Stanley John and Ruth Esther Moucka. She is survived by her sister, Betty McDaniel and her husband, Clyde; her three daughters, Tara, Heather, and Alicia; their husbands, Josh, Miles, and TJ; her three grandchildren, Max, Natalie, and Mason; and many, many friends.A Celebration of Life honoring Ruth Ann will be held on October 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Meeker Assembly of God Church.Her family invites those who knew and loved Ruth Ann to come celebrate a life of faith, family, service, and love—a life spent caring for others and pointing them toward Jesus.