State, Ruth M.
Aug 28, 1926 – Jul 1, 2024
When Ruth State’s husband, Joseph, considered starting his own business in the spring of 1957, he debated doing so. With no savings, four small children, and no health insurance, the step would be a major gamble. But enthusiastically backed by Ruth, he founded J. M. State Refrigeration Sales & Service. The company, which began as a residential service repair firm, became in the 1980s and 1990s one of upstate New York’s major businesses in service and sales of commercial refrigeration equipment. Born in Buffalo, the daughter of Alton R. Dehlinger, a salesman, and Emma E. Dehlinger (nee Walsh), a homemaker, Ruth attended Kensington High School. Employed as a file clerk at the Buffalo district office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-and late 1940s, she went on to secure a position as a draftsperson. The only woman in an office of 10 men, she plotted soundings on geodetic maps of the Great Lakes region. In her spare time, Ruth worked as a fashion model for major agencies and department stores in Buffalo. In the early years following the establishment of J. M. State Refrigeration, she took an active part in growing the business, serving as the firm’s collections agent and bookkeeper while simultaneously carrying on her work as a homemaker in the Town of Tonawanda. A lover of the arts, music was central in her life. She trained as a lyric soprano, competed in music competitions, and sang as a soloist in the St. Louis R.C. Church choir. An accomplished collage artist, she crafted scenes of landscapes intricately assembled from widely sourced print materials. Ruth also enjoyed gardening and sewing. An avid traveler, she flew with her husband, a licensed recreational pilot, to their second home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and across the United States. Her husband predeceased her in 2008. She is survived by her children, Mark, Paul, Barbara, and Nancy, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A private Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Louis R.C. Church and a private interment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.  Donations may be made in Ruth’s name to Hospice Buffalo. Online condolences may be placed at http://www.TheDietrichFuneralHome.com.