Her involvement in tennis began when she married Kip, an outstanding athlete and avid tennis player. She became a coach's wife in 1972 when Kip was hired to coach the tennis teams at St. Mary Central High School. Her children Tami, Teri, Tori, and Tate became aspiring players. She helped nurture and support them in tennis and all became very accomplished. She started to work at Fox Cities Racquet Club in 1976 as a bookkeeper, but did much, much more. Ruth began to play herself, participating in leagues, city tournaments, and USTA Team Tennis. She became general manager in 1999, and under her management built a new home for its members. That project was completed in January of 2001. Because of demand two years later two new courts were added.

To be successful in the tennis business, you must "serve" well and no one "serves" better than Ruth. Her dedication to the club and her outstanding customer service was recognized in 2000 when she received the Courtesy Award for small business managers of the Fox Valley presented by the Rotary.

Ruth has been on the Wisconsin Tennis Association Awards' Committee and has worked on the Scholarship and Banquet Committees of the Fox Valley Tennis Association. She was a contributing member of Friends of Neenah Tennis soliciting funds for new courts. She advises and consults whenever asked.

Ruth took great pride when the Whitlinger family was named National Tennis Family of the Year in 1986 and in 2006 when the Wisconsin Tennis Association named Fox Cities Racquet the Member Organization of the Year.