Ruth Rae (West) Brown of Crawfordsville, born to Gerald and Dorothy West, on July 4, 1939, passed away on July 18, 2026, at 9:45 a.m. She passed away peacefully at Hickory Creek Senior Care Facility with family by her side.
She is survived by her loving husband of 36 years, Ralph Brown; her sister, Kathy Billingsley; and her six children, Jerry Sledge, William Sledge (Rochelle Sledge), Richard Sledge (Marcia Sledge), Caroline Knee (Marion Fyffe), Ralph Brown Jr. (Angela Brown) and Dennis Brown (Angie Brown). She was the grandmother of 10 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her brother, James West; her sister, Diane Wilcox; her grandson, Thomas James Knee; and her daughter, Dorothy.
Ruth’s bright, fiery personality and her love for butterflies and hummingbirds were some of her most memorable qualities. She loved her family fiercely.
Please join us for her celebration of life at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9 at the Crawfordsville American Legion.
