Ruth Emma Terry

Our loving mother, Ruth Emma (Bingham) Terry, who was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1929, the sixth child of Ruth Emma Gould Bingham (Nana) and George G. Bingham, both originally from Germantown, Pennsylvania, passed away in her sleep on Sunday, September 7, 2025, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where she was visiting with her eldest child. She was 96 years old.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her devoted husband of 44 years, U.S. Air Force MSgt William Terry (d. June 7, 1999), her five esteemed Veteran brothers: U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel George “Dewey” Bingham of Mashpee, MA; U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant William Bingham of Randolph, MA; U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Lafayette Bingham of Cambridge, MA; U.S. Army Corporal John Bingham of Lynn, MA; and U.S. Army Corporal Francis Bingham of Cambridge, MA; two of three loving sisters: Lavinia "Lula" (Bingham) Frazier of Dorchester, MA, and May (Bingham) Thompson of Lexington, MA; and many other cherished relatives.

Ruth, who was intensely loved, is survived by her sister, Ann P, (Bingham) Evelyn, her children: Tara (Stewart) Voit, Jill Smith, and Daryl (Janice) Terry who she proudly raised in Cambridge, MA. seven grandchildren: Geoffrey, Stewart II, Shepleigh, Jade, Seychelles, Travis, and Natalia; and four great grandchildren: Isla, August, Luca, and Trace. She will be loved eternally and missed by relatives and close friends.

Ruth was a strong and independent woman who was active and involved throughout her life, putting a strong emphasis on faith, education, country, and, above all, family. As an example of her fortitude, her formal career ended at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, only two weeks shy of her 90th birthday. She enjoyed her work there and respected her colleagues immensely.

Though we are distraught by our mother's passing and wish that we could not be selfish by wanting her to stay alive forever, we recognize that her contributions to a life well-lived, advocating for her family, neighbors, and those in need, had been exhausted.

Reflection is inevitable. Always, my parents gave up everything for us. They were incredible protectors. They were fiercely encouraging. They were decisive about pressing us to lead healthy, productive lives. A united force, they never waivered in their love for us, even during the numerous times we tested our own moral compass, which impacted their parenting decisions.

When our father passed away, Mom supported us, ensured our children were cared for--by any means necessary, and found ways to instill in them the values her family facilitated to her. Mom was an avid fighter for her five brothers throughout their lives; thoughtfully inspiring while taking ownership of their emotions, personal papers, and prized possessions in the form of jewelry, money, or engagement rings for their prospective wives, and storing them safely until they were ready to retrieve them back again.

She was a committed confidant like no other, because she had to be, and a keeper of secrets for siblings and friends. She always stated, "I will take it to my grave for them." And so, she did exactly that. We realize that nobody is perfect, but our mom was as close to perfect as anyone could get. Her mind was sharp and did not falter, whether engaging with us in deep political discussions, social justice issues, or out and out telling us exactly what to do and how to do it. Last week, after responding effortlessly to provocations put forth to her by one of the doctors at Mt. Auburn hospital, he buckled and told her, “You have the mind of a 30-year-old, and I am so impressed!” We already knew that mom never missed a beat.

Mom drove us to school after working the 11:00PM-7:00AM shift as a bank auditor for then, the First National Bank of Boston. Nana would get us ready for school with breakfast in our bellies and lunchboxes packed every single morning. Mom took over from there, and ensured our days and weekends were spent filled with educational activities, religious practices, like going to church every Sunday at St. James’ Episcopal Church, and engaging in family traditions varying from gathering eggs in our father's parents chicken coop down in Keystone, WV, where our dad was from, to swimming in the salty ocean and fresh water stream on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard at Uncle Dewey’s home.

Mom was an avid athlete, whose favorite sports was boxing, and she was a fan of mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting. Rain, sleet, snow or hail, she took on the responsibility of teaching Daryl, and her nephews and nieces how to play sports; specifically, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey, coaching us through it with full support. The only bone she ever broke was on the ice rink while playing with Daryl and cousins when they “checked” her on a pile-on into the boards. She finished the game and as she entered the locker room exclaimed, “Get this skate off of my foot now!” to Aunt Paula (Carrington) Bingham, who then had the task of calming her as she expedited the release of the skate laces.

She was also an avid reader, a joy modeled to her by her father who was a Pullman Porter. Mom was well-versed on current events (keeping us informed daily), and worked crossword puzzles and word searches provided to her by her children and challenging ones from all over the world in multiple languages by her son-in-law, Stewart.

Mom and Nana graciously, and willingly, took care of nieces and nephews whenever asked by family needing to pursue military missions, transitioning to moving locations across the country or worldly endeavors, or, if education was a factor, in wanting the best for children.

Although she was a master at keeping secrets, Mom shared many anecdotes about family whether it was about how she was called to rush Wayne (Bingham) to the emergency room after a chemical ingestion when he was a college student, the intentional perfection by which Tommy (Bingham) mastered baseball, William’s “Poncho” (Bingham) stellar basketball abilities, Melanie’s (Thompson) eloquence, brilliance in her college studies and life decisions, Neil’s (Bingham) design-oriented skills, or little Mark’s (Bingham) athleticism in ice hockey. Three stories stand out and pulse in our memory, which has shaped our path forward as adults.

First, mom shared her reflection to when Johnny (Frazier) lived with her and Nana. Mom would state, “Johnny was so gifted. He was studious, kind, and handsome. He was always compliant, and we just knew that he was going to be a great leader in whatever he chose to become.”

Second, while driving through the south with Nana, Georgie (Bingham), and Stevie (Bingham), one of the boys needed to take a bathroom break. Mom promptly pulled over into a gas station because they were also low on gas. As the station attendant approached the car defiantly shaking his hands at them, shooing them away, and yelling at them that he refused to fill up their tank, Mom told him that she heard him and that they would be on their way after her nephews used the restroom. Mom said that that white man screamed expletives at them, and he stood over 6’2” and weighed about 300 pounds. She said that he got in her face and called her a racial slur and proceeded to threaten her life if she went near the restrooms. Shaking in her shoes, but not daunted, Mom said that she got back in his face, grabbed Georgie and Stevie and cautiously took them to the restroom anyway daring the man to put a finger on her. Mom said that they rushed back to the vehicle and sped away as fast as possible. She said that the risk of being thrown in jail for pulling off the road to relieve oneself for Blacks in southern states was a higher risk of torture before death. She didn’t want Georgie or Stevie to live in fear of racism because in the north that did not saturate their immediate experiences as children.

Finally, Lee’s (Bingham) story. Yes, the health challenges that he faced and overcame put him at the forefront of Mom’s protective spirit. Mom said that she prayed so hard for Lee, for days, weeks while he endured operation after operation from an infant through early childhood. Her greatest pride was to see him excel in school and perform at his education and sports at the highest-levels. His daughter, Nicole, Mom stated, was a gift from God to our family. Undisputed facts are that because of the pride our Mom had for her family, our uncles and aunts were our role models because of the norms and ideals that our Mother and Father established.

Mom wanted her nieces and nephews to know how much she loved them. Her generational family legacy meant something to her, to our history, and to how we enact progress. Carry on in peace, our loving mother. We will be forever grateful to you.

Tara, Jill, and Daryl

Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“In my end is my beginning.” -T.S. Eliot

Funeral Details:

Mt. Auburn Cemetery services:

9:30AM-10:30AM - Viewing/Wake, Story Chapel

10:30AM-11:15AM - Memorial Service, Story Chapel

*********Departure at 11:15AM - Burial Service at site, family and relatives only*********

11:15AM-1:30PM - Reception, Bigelow Chapel, all welcome (family and relatives will join post burial)

The family of Ruth Terry has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the beautiful Espanola Valley. 505-747-7477