PROVO — It isn't unusual to see boxes of fabric waiting on Ruth Brasher's doorstep.

For almost 15 years, her Provo home has been the communal drop-off point for fabric that has gone into the creation of more than 14,000 teddy bears.

There are also dollhouses at Brasher's home. (She is co-chairwoman of the Dollhouse Festival and serves on the Friends of the Children's Justice Center board.)

She's the ultimate example of the woman who can be depended on to get things done.

Her desire to serve, she says, comes from watching her parents.

"My father (who shared the milk from the family dairy) could not stand to see children not have what they needed. It was kind of second nature for us to reach out to others," she said.

Throughout her life, Brasher's education has thus been focused on service to the family. She received an associate's degree from the College of Eastern Utah in 1949 and graduated with a home economics undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in 1951.

After graduation, she served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the north-central area of the United States. She returned to Utah to work for the Cooperative Extension Service in Carbon County as a home economist.

Brasher received her master's degree in adult education from the University of Maryland while working in Washington, D.C., on a 4-H fellowship program. She also traveled around Oregon working for the extension service as a 4-H and Youth Development specialist.

Carolyn Garrison was a student at Oregon State in 1960 where Brasher trained her during her student teaching.

"She's all about service and excellence. When she was teaching ... she was very anxious for her students to have opportunities to serve. She expected her students to be excellent as well," said Garrison.

In 1969, Brasher received a doctorate from Utah State in sociology. She was then recruited to be chairman of Home Economic Department at BYU. During her 27 years there, she served as acting dean of the College of Family Living, associate dean of College of Family Home and Social Sciences and on the National Fellowship board of directors for the Phi Kappa Phi.

Carol Ellsworth taught with her at BYU. She described Brasher as "one of the most fantastic teachers I had ever seen. No matter what level she's on, she knows how to get the kids thinking. And she's service-oriented in everything she does."

Fifteen years ago, Brasher was asked to coordinate her LDS ward Relief Society service project. The women decided to make teddy bears for emergency medical technicians to give to injured children.