Ruth Gray and J. Wesley Sullivan
The marriage was a surprise to both Wes's and Ruth's families. Good friends, Bob and Betty Corey, helped with the arrangements and were the only friends who attended the wedding.
Initially they spent the summer at 1095 Waller St. in Wes's apartment in Brookwood Terrace
Ruth's mother, Marjorie Higgins, visits at Waller St.
And spent the winter at Ruth's Palm Desert condo, 313 Sandpiper
Wes and Ruth with the Sullivan family at the Odel Lake retreat
Then they moved their summer residence to the South Park apartments in Portland
Ruth sold her winter condo and they rented at the Sandpiper in Palm Desert in the winter
Here is Wes at a practice session, on the right.
While in Palm Desert Ruth and Wes helped form a "variety troupe of musicians and performers with both acoustic and electronic instruments." They performed folk, jazz, pop standards, bluegrass, soft rock and religious music.
Ruth and Wes made this business card for fun
In addition to taking a Mediterranean Cruise they also attended a number of Elderhostels. Ruth was constantly in motion.
When at Palm Desert Wes continued to be a docent at the Palm Springs Air Museum. He especially liked to give tours of the B17.
Wes and Ruth celebrating Wes's 86th birthday at the Chart House in Portland
In November of 2007, after more than three years of marriage to Ruth, Wes started experiencing fainting spells which were traced to a blockage in an artery to the brain. A stint was inserted (during an operation) to increase the blood flow. This resulted in a massive hemorrhage which resulted in death.