ALETHEA RUCKI
Alethea Marie Rucki, 96, formerly of St. Clairsville, OH, also of High Tree in Wheeling and Suntree in Melborne, FL died Tuesday, May 19, 2015, in Pittsburgh, PA.
She was born March 23, 1919, in Sardis, OH, a daughter of the late Howard and Katherine Thompson Miller.
She received her education at Wheeling High School, WV, Wesleyan College, West Liberty State College, West Virginia and Syracuse Universities.
Mrs. Rucki taught the First Grade at Clay School in Wheeling from the time it was built until 1963 when she joined Ohio County Schools Administrative Staff, first as Reading Supervisor and the as Director of Elementary Education. From 1969 to 1979 she served as administrator for teacher training, program planning and program evaluation for Brevard County Schools in Florida.
After retiring from the public schools she taught education extension classes for Stetson University in Florida.
Mrs. Rucki had several articles on teacher training published in professional journals. She wrote and developed innovative programs for both the Ohio County Schools and the Brevard County Florida Schools.
She was a member of Thoburn United Methodist Church St.Clairsville,, and former director of youth programs at the Fourth Street United Methodist Church in Wheeling. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Psi Chapter, honorary teachers sorority, the Ohio County Teachers Assoc., the Emeritas Club of West Virginia Wesleyan College, the Women’s Club of Wheeling and the Wilson Shannon Questers of St. Clairsville.
In addition to her parents Alethea was preceded in death by her husband, Richard S. Rucki, four sisters, Mrs. Joseph S. Virginia Jerrome, 1970, Mrs. H.T. Mary Katherine Mintzer 1988, Mrs. Donald Patsy Ruth LaFleur, 2000, and Mrs. Wilbert Shirley Ann Neuman, 2004; and two brothers, H. Thomas Miller, 2001 and George E. Miller, 2010.
Surviving are two brothers, Howard R. Miller, Jr., Pittsburgh and Robert T. Miller, Centerville, OH and three generations of nieces and nephews.
Friends will be received from 11 a.m. until the time of Alethea’s funeral service at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Beck-Altmeyer Funeral Home and Crematory 204 W. Main St. St. Clairsville with Rev. Ken Gifford officiating.
Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling.
Memorial contributions may be made to Thoburn United Methodist Church, St. Clairsville, Ohio.
Condolences may be offered to the family at altmeyer.com
Alethea and my grandmother and mom spent many hours visiting on the phone and with letters to each other. She has left the family a wonderful family tree that I am sure will be treasured by many for years to come. She will be thought of with fondness by many people.
I cannot get to visiting on Saturday, I loved Alethea like another Aunt.
—I am Blanche Toman’s niece. We just tal;ked a while ago.
RIP Alethea.
Mrs. Rucki helped me with a research project between 2000 and 2004 when she shared several photographs of early aircraft that were notable to development of flight in the Ohio Valley. I have been ever so grateful for her kindness and generosity and I am so glad she lived a long and useful life.