Thomas Brinton Ruth, Jr. (“Brint”), age 50, of Huntington, West Virginia, formerly of Oak Hill, passed away Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia during a short but courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Gallipolis to Karen (Malone) Ruth and the late Thomas Brinton Ruth, Sr.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, Pamela Ruth; daughter, Brittany Ruth; and son, Thomas “Grant” Ruth. Also surviving are several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Brinton Ruth, Sr.; and his first wife, Lora Beth (Baisden) Ruth.
He worked in different jobs with Shell Polymer in Apple Grove, West Virginia and then at Shell Oil Refinery in Mobile, Alabama, where he served on the Emergency Response Firefighting team after graduating from fire school at Texas A&M and receiving a certificate from firefighting school at LSU. He was also employed by The Herald Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia.
Brint was an incredible person that was fun, positive, loving to all and very loved by everyone he had the opportunity of meeting. His heart was pure and compassionate; without hesitation, he would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it. He made a person better, just by them knowing Brint. He taught us not by words, but by the way he walked through life and treated those around him. He went through so much pain, but still remained resilient, persistent, and positive through each trial. Not one person was able to burst his bubble of joy — he was always a radiant beam of light. He was kind to everyone, even to those who were unkind to him, and he made it look easy to do.
At the very young age of 23, Brint lost his wife Beth suddenly in a tragic car accident involving a drunk driver. He was left to care for his first-born son of four months old. He suffered a devastating loss as did his son, a wound that never fully healed. This loss of his wife, whom he never stopped loving, would have prevented him from even going on if it were not for his son, whom he loved just as greatly, so he persevered. During this time, Brint used music as a connection to his feelings and as an outlet to cope with his grief. He taught himself to play the guitar and spent many summer evenings entertaining friends at bonfires. He made a deep connection through shared grief with a close friend, Chris Adkins, who became like a brother to him.
Brint then went on to marry and had a daughter of this marriage. Despite wanting to make this marriage work more than anything, unfaithfulness broke his heart and the marriage ended. Still having not fully processed the devastating loss of his first wife, alcohol and drugs became a way to numb the pain he was facing. This was a struggle that continued for many years. In 2005, Brint was able to face his addiction and overcome, remaining in recovery for over 15 years as of this year. During this time, Brint was able to find a greater joy and peace in each day — together with Pam finding the happiness and love they both had sought for so long in each other.
Graveside services will be held Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 at 1 p.m. at Bethel Cemetery in Oak Hill with Pastor Linda Plummer officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of the Lewis & Gillum Funeral Home of Oak Hill. Per CDC guidelines and governor recommendations, everyone is to wear a mask indoors and practice proper social distancing. Online condolences may be sent to www.lewisgillum.com