Mary Ruth (Etter) Collison

Mary Ruth Etter Collison died peacefully in the early hours of December 8, 2015 at Candle Light Cove in Easton Maryland. She was the daughter of John and Ruth Etter. Mary Ruth was a Christmas baby born on December 25, 1921 in Towson Maryland. She was raised in Towson with her sisters Louise and Helen. Mary Ruth attended Friends School for most of her education before transferring to and graduating from Towson High School. It was at Towson High where she was to meet lifelong friends Frank and Mary Price, Bill and Dottie Rowe, Jimmy and Suzanne Laubheimer, Bob and Marjorie McGough and most importantly her future husband and life partner â€“ Bert Collison. After High School Mary Ruth attended Goucher College for 2 years and completed her education at Sayer Business College. Mary Ruth and Bert left Baltimore to live in the New York City area for over 40 years but her heart was always in St. Michaels, Maryland. She shared many fond memories of her summers (and her horse Lady) in St Michaels where her parents ran Camp Tred Avon for many years. Mary Ruth and Bert began spending summers in St. Michaels in 1957 and retired there in 1991. Over the years she was a volunteer at the St. Michaels branch of the Talbot County Library and Easton Memorial Hospital. Mary Ruth is survived by her sister Helen Womack and husband Winslow; sons Michael Collison and wife Kimberly, Kenneth Collison, and Douglas Collison and wife Deborah; grandsons Brian Collison and wife Roseanne, Gregory Collison and wife Amanda, Jack Collison and wife Darra and Christopher Collison; great grandchildren Constance, Eva, Clark, Hannah, Jackson and Oliva; nieces Caroline Coe and husband John, Cecelia Robertson and husband Jim, nephew James Clifford; nephews John Womack and wife Helen, Steven Womack and wife Donna, James Womack, Charles Womack and niece Anne Womack. A Celebration of Life service will be held in the Spring of 2016. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Chesapeake Maritime Museum at 213 North Talbot Street St. Michaels, Maryland 21663-0636. Arrangements are by the Ostrowski Funeral Home P.A. of St. Michaels.