Ruth Aranibar Martinasek

Ruth Aranibar Martinasek, 86, passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016. She lost her beloved husband of sixty-one years and the love of her life, Mickey, just seven months earlier. Many have known and loved Ruth for her quick humor and her easy going spirit. We are very thankful for her life, love, and the many sacrifices she made for us during her lifetime. Ruth was born in Oruro, Bolivia in 1930 into a family very well established in the Bolivian mining industry. She had a pioneer spirit of adventure and gave up the comforts of her privileged, social life to journey with her husband Mickey, who had recently immigrated to Bolivia after fleeing the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Ruth and Mickey came to the United States to begin their new lives together with their six month old daughter, Vivien. They left the cool thin air of this capital city, nested high in the Andes Mountains at an altitude of over two miles, for the near sea level town of Bartow, Florida with its warm, humid, semitropical climate. They ultimately settled in Lakeland, Florida. Ruth initially agreed to stay ""just one year"" in the U.S. This evolved into sixty years. Her family grew with the birth of two more children, Myra Danilla and Dushan, and she was blessed with lifelong friendships of so many loving and interesting people who enriched her life throughout these years. During her years in Florida, Ruth polished her unique English skills, learned to cook, to sew, to play tennis, to cross country snow ski (albeit not in Florida) and most importantly, to play bridge. Ruth loved to play bridge with Mickey and her friends and became skilled with Mickey at duplicate bridge. They spent many afternoons enjoying the camaraderie of the Lakeland Duplicate Bridge Club. Ruth was also an avid reader, and she loved spending summers hiking or relaxing with Mickey and her family in the hills of North Carolina. Ruth is survived by her three children: Vivien Carroll (Dr.Ed Carroll), Danilla Sawyer (Ron Sawyer), and Dr. Dushan Martinasek (Dr.Mary Martinasek), grandchildren: Paul (Jen), Leah, Kyle, Tyler (Megan), Alex, and Lauren, and great-grandchildren: Lily and Logan. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, December 18th, 2016 at 4pm at Heath Funeral Chapel with a reception to follow in the Tribute Center. Service: 12/18/2016 Heath Funeral Chapel 328 S. Ingraham Avenue, Lakeland, Fl. 33801