Obituary of Ruth L. Manley

Ruth Laird Manley, a long time Pitman resident, passed away on Sunday, July 29, 2012. Mrs. Manley was born in 1921 in the town of Jordan, New York. She grew up on a small dairy farm outside of Jordan. She attended a one room school across the street from her barn for her elementary years. At the age of 15 she graduated as valedictorian from Jordan High School. In 1941 she graduated from Syracuse University with highest honors with a degree in Latin and French. After teaching high school for two years, she married Leo Manley (1917-1998) and moved to South Jersey when Leo went to work as a chemist at the Mobil Oil Laboratory in Paulsboro, New Jersey. Ruth gave birth to three children and put roots down in her beloved town of Pitman, New Jersey, where she lived for 58 years. In Pitman she was active in the American Association of University Women, the Pitman Little League, the Red Cross, and Our Lady Queen of Peace Church. She studied art history at the Barnes Institute in Philadelphia. Her life's work was her family. In addition to her three children: Amelia (Charles) of Briarcliff Manor, NY; Will (Lorraine) of Livermore, CA; and Wick (Patricia) of Rochester, MN, she was grandmother to 10 children and great grandmother to 16. In her role as matriarch, she was a wonderful role model as a wife, mother, educator, and Christian. Ruth died as she lived - with great faith, a loving heart and gentle serenity. May she rejoice in the eternal reward she so richly deserves. A memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church on Pitman Ave, Pitman, NJ on Friday, August 3 at 11:00 AM. The Mass will be preceded by a visitation time beginning at 10:00 AM at the church. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Good Counsel, Inc., PO Box 6068, Hoboken, NJ 07030