Obituary of Ruth M. Covitch

COVITCH – Ruth, 94, of Ebensburg, passed peacefully on September 9, 2011 at Rebekah Manor, surrounded by family. Born August 28, 1917, in Altoona, daughter of the late Anna and Isidor Marcus. Survived by her adoring husband Bernard, sister Shirley Glucroft, and children Pam Cotlar (Ken), Michael (Sandra), and Ellen Hahn. Also survived by seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, who know her as Grammy, Dibi, and Too. As co-owner of J. Covitch & Son clothing store, Ruth created the Ladies Custom Corner and produced fashion shows for the Ebensburg community. She also served as president of the Ebensburg Woman’s Club and Cambria County Woman’s Club, board member of Children & Youth Services, and docent at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and the Cambria County Historical Society. As a child, Ruth danced under local ballet legend Ruth Barnes and, later, in the thespian club at Penn State, where she earned a degree in social work and met her husband of 68 years—on a blind date. Her poise and kind humor, as well as her love of gardening, jelly making, gourmet cooking, world traveling, and, of course, dancing, live on in the many people she touched. The family thanks Rebekah Manor and Home Nursing Hospice for their care and support. A gathering of friends will be held from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the funeral service at 2:00 p.m., Sunday at the Askew-Houser Funeral Homes Inc., Ebensburg, Rabbi Josh Wohl, officiating. Interment at Agudath Achim Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, or DOROT, an organization that enriches the lives of seniors and brings generations together.