Evelyn Bealer Ruggles

Evelyn Bealer Ruggles, born February 2, 1922, passed away peacefully at her home on July 12, 2021. She was 99 years old. Evelyn and her husband, David William Ruggles, moved to Paonia in 1990.
Evelyn was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania to Jonas and Florence Fryer Bealer. She graduated from North Coventry High School at the head of her class and went on to attend Madison College in Tennessee and additionally at University of Rhode Island and the University of Connecticut.
She married Dr. David William Ruggles on March 12, 1944 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Together they had five children, Susan Ruggles Schwab, Daniel Ruggles, Karen Ruggles Lemoine, Martha Ruggles and Alan Ruggles. She was preceded in death by her husband, David and her youngest son, Alan. She had six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Evelyn was trained as a dietician and worked at Jefferson Hospital and Medical College in Pennsylvania. During World War II, she also worked at a chemistry lab at Steel Plants and taught school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Her true passion was teaching, from preschool to high school, from Connecticut to California. She especially loved math and science. She was known locally as a very capable tutor for children in the North Fork of the Gunnison River area.
Evelyn enjoyed people, young and old, and loved spending hours reading and enjoying music. She was a member of the Friends of the Paonia Library. In lieu of flowers, she would have appreciated donations to anyone’s favorite charity or the Paonia Library. No services are planned, at Evelyn’s request. She will be interred at a later date in Reading, Pennsylvania.