Ruth M. Mcconaughy

Ruth Marie (McLain) McConaughy, retired teacher and guidance counselor for the Middletown City Schools, peacefully passed away Tuesday, February 13, 2007 at Garden Manor Extended Care Facility where she had been a resident since November 1998.

Mrs. McConaughy was born May 3, 1913 in Richmond, Indiana to the late Glenn T. and Kathryn Marie McLain. Moving to Middletown as a small child, Mrs. McConaughy graduated from Middletown High School in 1930.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Miami University in 1935, she moved to Owensville to teach at the Owensville High School. While there, she boarded with the Ed and Alice Evans family who eventually introduced her to her future husband. After her marriage to Robert McConaughy on August 27, 1942 in Abilene, Texas as he was entering the Army Medical Corps for World War II, she continued to teach at Owensville until 1944. At that time until 1948, Mrs. McConaughy worked for Proctor and Gamble as a Chemical Technician and as a home economist in the Crisco test kitchen.

It was in 1948 that Mrs. McConaughy began teaching in the Middletown City School system. First as a 2nd grade teacher at Maple Park Elementary, then as a substitute throughout the system. From 1960 through the 1964 school year, she taught Home Economics at Middletown High. In the 1964 school year, the McConaughy family were weekend hosts for an exchange student, Sylvia Kaiser, from Switzerland. From there, Mrs. McConaughy taught Home Economics and was a Counselor at Manchester Junior High School until her retirement in 1974. During this time, Mrs. McConaughy was awarded her Masters in Education from Miami University in 1971. Even after her retirement, she continued to substitute teach until 1985.

Mrs. McConaughy belonged to the early Alpha Alpha Chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha Educational Sorority at Miami University, joining in 1931. She was also a member of the Butler County Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma-Chi, an Honor Society for Women Educators, joining in 1968 and serving as its President from 1980-1982.

Ruth was an avid Bridge player, belonging to the Duplicate Bridge Club and was a long-standing member of Forest Hills Country Club. After her retirement, Mrs. McConaughy was a member of the Middletown Regional Hospital Lady’s Auxiliary, the Country Cousins Square Dance club, and delivered meals for Meals on Wheels. Mrs. McConaughy was a life-long member of Holy Family Parish.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Robert F. McConaughy, on March 3, 2000. Also preceding her were 2 sisters, Mildred Morris and Eleanor Wendt; and 3 brothers, William, Thomas, and Eddie McLain.

She is survived by two sons, Mark (Leslie) of Oklahoma City and Patrick (Christine) of Phoenix, Arizona. Mrs. McConaughy also leaves behind five grandchildren, Melissa (Salam) Blaney and John McConaughy of Orlando, Florida, James McConaughy of Winter Haven, Florida, Michael and Zachary McConaughy of Phoenix, Arizona; and 1 great grandson, Jacob Blaney of Orlando.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the entire staff of Garden Manor, especially the nurses and technicians in the Mentally Impaired Unit who have taken extraordinary care of our mother and grandmother for 7 years. We also wish to send our sincerest appreciation to Dr. Mark Frazer for his many years of concern and compassion in caring for both Ruth and Robert McConaughy. Many thanks also to Evercare Hospice. We are exceptionally grateful for all the care and concern of all of Ruth and Robert’s friends, former students and co-workers during their time of infirm – you will never know how much this meant to them as well as to us.

ARRANGEMENTS: Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Holy Family Parish - Holy Trinity Church with Father John Civille as celebrant. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding Funeral Home. Burial is at Woodside Cemetery.

MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Family Parish, 201 Clark St., Middletown, Ohio 45042.


Funeral Home:
Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding
3805 Roosevelt Blvd.
Middletown, OH
US 45044