NORWICH – Ruby Aldrich Crispell, age 85, died at home in Claymont, Del., surrounded by family, on Dec. 14, 2009.
Born October 29th, 1924 in Guilford, to Earl and Gladys Aldrich, she attended two one room school houses, Guilford school #16 and Norwich school #10, and graduated from Norwich High School in 1941 at the age of 16. Ruby served in the U.S. Marine Corps achieving the rank of Private.
Ruby started her life and grew up in Norwich. After high school she worked at the Norwich Pharmaceutical Company. She moved to New York City in 1944 to live and work at the Stuyvesant Settlement House on St. Marks Place. In 1945 she joined the U.S. Marine Corps where she was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. While in the Marines she married Thomas Joseph Mitchell, Sr. of Ithaca,on Oct. 8, 1945 at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, Calif. Upon leaving the Marines Ruby and Tommy lived in Ithaca, where they raised their four children, Mitch, Rory, Michael and Hali. Ruby worked at Cornell University and also illustrated an agriculture book for Professor Arthur Pratt. After the passing of her husband, Tommy, in 1961, Ruby was secretary to James McConnell at GLF (now known as Agway). Ruby married Leslie (Lug) Crispell of Ithaca on Oct. 12, 1963. Ruby and Lug traveled extensively and lived in many places including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Indiana, while raising their daughter Eileen. Ruby and Lug retired to Norwich, where she resided until October of 2008, when she moved to Claymont, Del. to be close to children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Ruby will be especially remembered for incredible meals and knitting sweaters for every member of the family. She had a lifetime passion for politics and an insatiable interest in the world including culture, religion, human interest and genealogy, which inspired some of her travels to ancestral homes in England and Scotland. She was very artistic and started painting prolifically at the age of 60. One of her best known and most treasured paintings is of the classic Blue Bird Diner in Norwich. Hundreds of copies of this painting have been sold through the “Made in Chenango” Store were she was a founding member and artist for many years. She was involved in the Norwich Fine Arts Guild, The Arts Council, volunteered at the Northeast Car Museum and she held the positions of Secretary and Historian on the board of The White Store Church and Evergreen Association and was named volunteer of the year.
Survivors include her children, Thomas Mitchell, Jr., Rory Mitchell and wife Gussie Burton, Michael Mitchell and wife Patricia Mitchell, Hilary Smith, Eileen Crispell Ford and husband Christopher Ford, her grand children, Miles Mitchell, Sara Mitchell, Samantha Mitchell, Nathan Mitchell, Jeffery Mitchell, Patrick Mitchell and wife Dawn Mitchell, Lisa Allred and husband Donald Allred, Eric Smith, Dannielle Smith, Maximilian Ford and Chloe Ford, great grand children, Kara Hubschmit, Casey Hubschmit, Michael (Tyler) Mitchell, Mason Mitchell, Heather Mitchell, Elizabeth Allred, Alexandra Allred, siblings, Leon (Pete) Aldrich and wife Grace, Virginia Phettaplace, Irene Weeks, Sandy Melville and husband Dr. Dean Melville. Ruby was preceded in death by husband Thomas Mitchell, Sr., husband Leslie I Crispell, Jr. and sibling Gertrude (Trudi) Godfry.
At Ruby’s request, an old fashioned country picnic will be held in celebration of her life in Norwich at noon on Saturday, May 15, location to be determined. Following the picnic, an open service will be held at The White Store Church at 2 p.m. The White Store Church is located in Norwich, just off RT. 8 between South New Berlin and Mt. Upton. Relatives and friends are welcome. If you plan to attend the picnic please contact Eileen Crispell Ford at 203-845-0425 or Sandy Melville 607-334-9685 for location and details.
Memorial contributions are welcome at The White Store Church and Evergreen Association as well as The Compassionate Care Hospice of Wilmington, DE. Checks should be made payable to Evergreen Cemetery Association and sent to Barbara Vanderbunt, 121 County Road 3A, Greene, NY 13778. Compassionate Care Hospice is located at 702B Kirkwood Highway Wilmington, DE 19805 and can be reached at (302)-993-9090.
Family and friends have been thankful for the care and support daughter Hilary Smith provided Ruby in the last year, and the Compassionate Care Hospice for helping Ruby end her life with grace and comfort.