Athletic Retired Geologist, Tells of Accomplished Family
Piano Gifts from Cool ( Piano ) Purse -un 30 - Ruth Gove
Piano Gifts from Ruth Gove. She purchased our popular Red Fleur de Lys Piano Purse at a craft fair for her talented grand daughter.I first met Ms. Gove doing swim workouts in Oak Ridge. I love getting swim tips from folks, since I am a novice lap swimmer. She often throws pointers in my direction. Then, I started seeing her at concerts too. She seems to be traveling in the same path as I recently.
1. Violettes: Where are you from, and what was your profession?
Ruth: I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up along the shores of Lake Erie in the eastern suburb of Euclid. My college major was geology and I was able to work in Washington, D.C. as a research assistance for the U.S. Geological Survey. When we moved to Oak Ridge, I later worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a geologist and then as a Technical Information Specialist.
2. Violettes: You have an amazingly accomplished family. Your husband and your sons sound like super stars. Tell us about them.
Ruth: My husband , now retired, worked as a nuclear physicist at ORNL. He later transitioned into computers. We have three sons: the oldest is a math professor in CA; the middle one is a neuronet computer specialist in NC; and the third and youngest is a computer engineer working for Google. All three sons were soccer players. They started young since during their youth we lived in Vienna for 3 years. So I don't have any football players.
3. Violettes: I'll bet your kids were all Valedictorians! What else about your sons??
Ruth: Two of the boys were valedictorians, 2 were on the ORHS soccer team and one stayed with AYSO. One son was TN's first All-American high school soccer player. That same son won either 1st or 2nd national honors in French and Spanish contests for advanced non-native speakers. Two of the kids have PhDs; the third is our PhD drop out.
4. Violettes: You have a grand daughter who is learning to compose (for whom you purchased one of Violettes' piano gifts). How did she get started with the composing? A lot of kids take private music lessons as part of their education, but not many get involved with composing.
Ruth: My grand daughter started piano lessons when she was about 6 and she claimed she kept hearing music. So she learned to write it down. She can "play by ear". Right now she studies piano and occasionally has composition lessons. She also gives piano lessons.
5. Violettes: You are an expert swimmer. Do you have other hobbies or talents?
Ruth: I grew up playing table tennis and now as an adult I play with our Knoxville club and also participate in some competitive tournaments. Two yrs ago I won the gold in the National Senior Olympics held in Cleveland.
This year I won the silver (also in singles) in Minneapolis. I was a tomboy growing up and played pick up basketball and football. I am taking up pickle ball now that we have a place to play in Oak Ridge. If I ever have time I love to do research on my family history. Right now I'm looking for the birth place of my Welch grandmother - someone I never met. I also love to garden and to mow our 3/4 acre of grass.
Violettes Piano Purses make great Gifts for Piano Players.
Shop at Violettes by Becky for Gifts for Music Lovers.