Obituary of Ruth Shelly Rice

RUTH SHELLY RICE, age 94, a resident of the Rydal Park Retirement Community died on July 4, 2013. She was the devoted wife of the late Whitman A. "Whit" Rice for 60 years. Prior to moving to Rydal Park in 2003, Ruth and Whit resided on Fairacres Road in Jenkintown for more than 50-years. Whit died in 2001. Born in Souderton, PA, Ruth was the daughter of the late Sadie Stover Shelly and the late Harvey N. Shelly. In 1936, she graduated from Souderton High School and in 1940, earned her Bachelors Degree in Education from West Chester State Teachers College, now West Chester University. Ruth was an Elementary School teacher in the Franconia School District until she married in 1941. Ruth was a devoted wife, mother and homemaker. Along with her husband, Ruth was an active member at Huntington Valley Country Club. Over the years, she was on the paddle tennis teams and bowling league teams, and partook in many of the social activities such as dinner dances and 4th of July celebrations held at the club. Ruth enjoyed worldwide traveling with her friends from Huntington Valley Country Club. She also enjoyed flower gardening, interior decorating and antiquing in Bucks County. She was a volunteer for Meals-on-Wheels in the Abington area. Ruth was a member of Grace Presbyterian Church for more than 60-years. While living at the Rydal Park Retirement Community, she served as a wheelchair transport volunteer, worked on the annual holiday craft bizarre, and was on the Woodside holiday decorating committee, and spent the balance of time with family and friends. She is survived by her loving son and daughter-in-law, Timothy A. and Cheryl Ann Rice. She was preceded in death by her brothers; Paul Shelly and Willard Shelly and by her sisters; Esther Gottshalk and Dorothy Arisman. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 Am on Thursday, July 11, 2013, Grace Presbyterian Church, Old York and Vista Roads, Jenkintown, where friends will be received from 10:00 until the time of the service. Interment will be in Whitemarsh Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Grace Presbyterian Church, 444 Old York Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046.