Ruth Ilene Stiles

Ruth Ilene (Owen) Stiles, age 96, of Springfield, Ohio, passed peacefully in her home on January 30, 2026. She was born on September 17, 1929, in Saint John, Kansas, to Shelton Hall Owen and Edna Hazel Owen (Wickham). Ruth moved with her family from Kansas to Marion, Ohio, and then to Springfield, Ohio in 1939. She graduated from Springfield High School in 1947 and went on to graduate in 1950 from Springfield Community Hospital’s School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse. Ruth devoted not only her professional career to caring for others, but her personal life as well. Her love and commitment to her family was evident in everything she did, from making thoughtful, personalized greeting cards at every birthday to crocheting and knitting scarves and sweaters, to her famous hospitality and cooking acumen. Ruth was the widow of the late Donald James Stiles, her husband of more than 73 years. They met as children in Sunday School around the age of ten and began a lifelong journey together. Travel and aviation were shared passions she enjoyed alongside her husband, and they both held pilot’s licenses. Together they embraced adventure throughout their lives with interests that included square dancing, camping, and exploring new sites all over the globe. She was also particularly fond of her work with the Springfield, Clark County Heritage Center, where she took pride in contributing to the preservation of local history. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Shelton and Edna Owen; her husband, Donald James Stiles; her daughter, Karen Stiles Pietrzyk; her brothers, Vernon and Lawrence Owen; and her great-granddaughter, Hannah Branam. She is survived by her sons, Alan (Nan) Stiles and Daniel (Susan) Stiles; grandchildren Aubrey Stiles, Warren (Barb) Stiles, Donna Pietrzyk Stiles, Stephanie Morgan (Damien), and Nathan (Andrea); as well as great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by extended family and many dear friends whose lives she touched over the years. Visitation will be held at RICHARDS, RAFF & DUNBAR MEMORIAL HOME, 838 E. High St., Springfield, Ohio. Thursday, February 5th at noon with services following at 1:00 p.m., and interment immediately following at Rose Hill Burial Park.