Ruth E. Mangan

Ruth Mangan, 102, of Port Leyden, NY peacefully passed away to be with her loving savior on July 7, 2016 at the Lewis County General Hospital Residential Health Care Facility with her loving family at her side. Ruth was born on November 29, 1913, on the family farm in Denley (Port Leyden), NY, the only child of Ralph and Ella Thomas. She grew-up on the farm, which was on the Thomas Road, and attended elementary school in a one room school house in Denley. Later she took the train from Denley to attend school in Port Leyden, where she graduated from Port Leyden High School, in a graduating class of four. She was the oldest living graduate of Port Leyden High School. After high school, Ruth attended Potsdam College, where she graduated with a teaching degree in 1935. After her graduation, she returned to Port Leyden and taught 2nd grade in the Port Leyden School system, including in the same one room school house where she had been a student. On June 23, 1943, she married G. Beck Mangan in St. Martin's Catholic Church, Port Leyden, NY. Ruth and Beck ran an IGA grocery in Port Leyden and later added an appliance and dry goods store. In 1959, the IGA was converted to a Western Auto store. Ruth was a wife, a loving and caring mother as well as a full time store manager. She was definitely ahead of her time! Ruth and Beck had three children: Tom (Shelley)(Livingston, NJ), Zoeann (Watertown) and Clayton (Robin)(Port Leyden). Beck passed away on December 8, 1969. Ruth continued to run the Western Auto store until her retirement in 1988. Ruth enjoyed spending the summers at their camp on the Black River outside Port Leyden. She always loved watching the birds, squirrels and chipmunks and would amaze people with the details she observed that they often missed. She had a great interest in flowers and continued to plant them well into her 90's. She was a voluminous reader and especially liked Western, Civil War and North Country history books. A genealogy enthusiast, she traced her ancestors back to the early colonies, including a sergeant in the Revolutionary War and a lieutenant in the Civil War. She was a long time supporter and board member of the Port Leyden Community Library and a member of the Port Leyden Monday Club. After her retirement, she would spend the winters with her son Tom's family in New Jersey, which she sometimes referred as being in Florida, compared to the cold Port Leyden winters. She was very proud of her six grandchildren; Lori (Mangan) Lieberman (Marc), Scott Mangan (Alexis), Tammy (Mangan) Besaw (Frank), Luke Mangan (Sara), Pamela (Mangan) Stern (David), Jeannie (Mangan) Scouten (Tyler) and nine great grandchildren Matthew and Todd Wallace, Michael, Aubrey and Benjamin Stern, Tucker and Avonlea Scouten, and Alan and Hannah Lieberman. When they were young, she enjoyed reading to them and playing board games with them. Ruth has been a resident of the Residential Health Care Facility at Lewis County General Hospital since December 2014. She kept things interesting on her floor and enjoyed joking with the other residents and staff. Prior to that time she was a lifelong resident of Port Leyden and proud of it! She will be sadly missed by her family, friends and caregivers. Her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, July 11, at 10:00 am at St. Martin's Church, Port Leyden, with Rev. Lawrence Marullo officiating. Interment will follow in Old Calvary Cemetery, Port Leyden. Calling hours will be held on Sunday from 2:00 - 5:00pm at the Trainor Funeral Home, Inc. 143 Schuyler St. Boonville. Ruth's family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses, staff and aids who provided such loving care, comfort and attention to Ruth while she was in their care. Memorial contributions may be made in Ruth's memory to the Port Leyden Community Library, 3145 Canal Street, Port Leyden, NY 13433, to Lewis County General Hospital Residential Health Care Facility, 7785 North State Street, Lowville, NY 13367, or to the Alzheimer's Association at alt.org.