Mary Ruth Greenfield

Durham – Mary Ruth Fordham Greenfield, age 90, passed away at home with her daughters holding her hands on May 28, 2020. She was born on January 7, 1930 to the late John and Florie Fordham of Cochran Georgia.

She grew up on a farm and attended Cochran High School where she played basketball and was a member of the State Championship Debate Team. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, attending Middle Georgia Junior College and graduating at the age of 20 from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia with a degree in Chemistry.

She moved to Atlanta and worked at Grady Memorial Hospital where she met Joseph C. Greenfield, Jr., an Emory Medical School student. They married in 1955 and moved to Durham in 1956 so her husband could continue his training at Duke. She continued her work as a research chemist at the Durham VA Hospital where she participated in some of the first cholesterol studies in the country. She worked part-time so that she could raise her three daughters. She retired from the VA in 1990 but quickly became bored so she embarked on a new career as a tax preparer with H&R Block. She earned IRS enrolled agent status and prepared taxes for nearly 25 years. Her clients loved her. Many who moved away would travel back to Durham yearly so she could to do their taxes.

She retired from Block in 2015, after contracting MAI, a chronic bacterial lung infection. She was on full-time oxygen and stayed active until the last few years. Even as she was forced to slow down, she kept her mind sharp by doing the daily crossword puzzles, jumbles and sudoku.

Mary Ruth loved her family and when her parents and her favorite aunt passed, putting an end to family reunions in Georgia, she initiated an annual beach trip. For 18 years, the last in 2019, she brought together her daughters, sisters, sisters-in-law, cousins, and nieces for a Memorial Day week filled with good food, laughter and reminiscing at Emerald Isle, NC.

She was an ardent sports fan and would watch tennis, pro and college basketball, and football. She loved to watch no matter who was playing. But Duke basketball was her favorite. She bled Duke Blue. She attended games in Cameron for many years. She loved watching them on television and could not wait for the ACC and NCAA tournament. This year with no live tournament, she watched hours of past tournaments, Super Bowls and even World Series.

Mary Ruth volunteered for over 40 years at the Nearly New Shoppe, a thrift shop founded by Duke medical wives with proceeds funding scholarships for Duke University Medical School. She was also an avid bridge player and was part of a bridge club for 50 plus years.

She was fiercely independent and taught her children to be the same. She could do anything: she sewed beautiful clothes and knitted gorgeous sweaters. She taught her girls to paint and wallpaper, to can vegetables and make preserves and jellies, to cook, knit, decoupage, and make beautiful Christmas ornaments. She loved spending time with neighbors and friends.

She leaves behind her husband of 64 years, daughters Mary Agnes, Ruth Ann and Susan Lee, of Durham, her sister Gail Feather of Morristown, NJ, her brother and sister-in-law, Buddy and Carol Fordham of Cochran, GA, her brother Tom Fordham of Buford, GA, several nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother John Fordham, Jr. and her sister Ann King.

Mary Ruth will be missed by all who knew her.

Her family is grateful for the loving care she received for many years from Aegis Home Care and more recently from Duke Hospice.

A private internment service is planned.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:
Durham Exchange Club Industries (Memo: Client Assistance Fund)
Attn. Sonya Beckford
1717 East Lawson Street
Durham, NC 27703.

The Greenfield family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences: www.hallwynne.com – select obituaries.