Ruth Gebbie Rhoads, 79, of Hendersonville, NC, passed away Sunday, August 8, 2010, in the company of her family at Elizabeth House. A native of Greensboro, VT, she was a daughter of the late Foster T. and Bessie Silver Gebbie, and was also preceded in death by three brothers, Donald, Howard, Thomas, and a sister, Harriet.
She received a BS degree in Food and Nutrition from the University of Vermont and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. After graduation, she completed a dietetic internship, an advanced training program in institutional management, at the Aetna Life Insurance Co. in Hartford, CT. She was employed as cafeteria manager at Bancroft Mills, and later at Friends School in Wilmington, DE. She moved to Danville, IL, and later to Upper Montclair, NJ. After her children finished the eighth grade, she was employed by Safeguard Business Systems and later became office manager. She was a member and Deacon in the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair. She retired to Hendersonville, NC in 1990, where she joined the First Presbyterian Church and served as a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels. Her hobbies were skiing, bowling, dancing, furniture refinishing, golf, reading, and knitting.
Survivors include her loving husband of 54 years, Darwin; a daughter, Lisa Goodyear and her husband, Anthony of Statesville, NC; a son, Kevin Rhoads and his wife Sandy Camper of Berlin, NY; a sister, Elizabeth Spring of Chelmsford, MA; four grandchildren, Alicia, Eve, Garrett, Nicholas; three great grandchildren, Americus, Moshe, Timothy; several nieces and nephews, and a cousin.
A memorial service to celebrate her life will be at 10:00 am Saturday, August 28, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville. Rev. Dr. Bill Campbell and Rev. Dr. Ed Ehlers will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Four Seasons Compassion for life, 571 S. Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731.