If you ever attended a Monday or Thursday exercise class at Meridian Park Community Center in Walton County, chances are you exercised alongside Ruth Hudson. She would have been the tiny, energetic lady out in front, dumbbells in hand – even at 91.
“She could kick her leg up higher than everybody else and exercise with the best of them,” said her daughter, Cathie Knight. “There were younger people in her class who would say ‘I can’t exercise like you,’ and she’d always just say ‘yes you can, let’s go.’ That was just how she was.”
Hudson’s age-defying energy served as an inspiration to many in her classes. She always went above and beyond just to show everybody she could, said longtime friend, Charlie Jolley, who took the exercise classes with her.
“She would go out of her way to do better than everybody else to try and make them do better,” he said. “It didn’t matter how tired she got, she’d still go. She was probably one of the best in the class.”
Ruth Lowe Hudson died Monday from complications of pneumonia. She was 91. Her body was cremated by Tom M. Wages Funeral Home in Lawrenceville, which is also in charge of the arrangements. There will be a funeral reception held at 1 p.m. on Sunday at her Loganville home. A private family ceremony is set to follow.
Hudson had exercised at Meridian Park for the last five years, but she had been dedicated to being healthy her entire life. She always tried to take care of herself, and whenever the family would have dinner she’d always say not to put “too much” on her plate, Knight said.
Despite her age and sickness, Hudson’s active lifestyle never faltered. She used to say she didn’t believe she was sick, and from the outside, it didn’t seem like she was, said Valerie Urmetz, Hudson’s senior fitness instructor.
“She was sick for a long time, but you’d never know it,” she said. “She was a very positive influence and everybody loved being around her. She was the perfect example of fitness forever.”
According to those who knew her, the only thing Hudson enjoyed more than being fit, was being a mother. Her family always came first and she thoroughly enjoyed doing things for the ones she loved. She enjoyed it so much, in fact, that she would get angry with the ones who wouldn’t let her, Knight said.
“She would yell at (her granddaughter) if she didn’t bring her dirty laundry over for her to do,” Knight added with a laugh. “She always wanted to do everything for everybody else, and she was a blessing to so many people.”
In addition to her daughter, Hudson is survived by another daughter, Terri Whitfield of Suwanee; two sons, Rick Hudson of Tulsa, Okla., and Lloyd Berry Hudson III of Kennesaw; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
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