Aline Frank

1956 - 2022

Aline Ruch Frank passed away peacefully in her home on September 3, surrounded by her family and neighbors, who were drinking wine and telling stories. She would have loved the whole scene. Born in Baltimore in 1956 to James Ruch and Frances Collins Ruch, she lived in many places before moving to Kennett Square in 1996. She is survived by her siblings (Frannie, Pat, Katie, Mary, Sue, Jim, and John, and their spouses and children), her children (Henry (Kayla), Sam (Brooks), Abigail, and Hannah), and her grandchildren (Alice, Leonard, Ira, and Daphne). Aline was incomparable. She is impossible to describe, but here are a few things her children loved about her. She was a technical designer in the fashion industry by trade—a pattern maker—and loved textiles, design, and engineering. She had a timeless style and seemingly endless talents. She earned her bachelor’s degree in medieval Spanish literature from U Penn while raising four kids. She threw herself wholeheartedly into any community that she was a part of—St. Ignatius Parish, St. Pat’s, the Kennett school district, her neighborhood, and countless more. She did a million things at once and was everywhere in Kennett. She held many jobs, was president of the Mary D. Lang PTO, was on the school board, fixed everyone’s prom and wedding dresses, wrote curricula, translated between English and Spanish, threw community welcome parties, went to all the sports games and musicals and graduations. She was always athletic, but her favorite exercise was “checking in on her peeps,” i.e. walking around town on a Friday night knowing she would run into friends anywhere she went. She was kind, open-minded, curious, mischievous, selfless, and brave. She was incredibly smart but never pretentious. She was funny, without being loud, and without putting other people down. She was not sentimental, but she loved people deeply and unconditionally. She would always say “do what you can do” and “what do normal people do?” She loved catching critters in her garden to entertain her grandchildren. She cared about public education. She was honest, unfailingly forgiving, and had no sense of entitlement. There are a lot of people who want to be just like Aline. She will be indescribably missed. There will be a wake on Thursday, September 15, from 5-7pm at her home (111 East Sickle Street, Kennett Square, PA) and a Funeral Mass at St. Patrick Church, 212 Meredith Street, Kennett Square, PA. All are welcome. The service will also be available online here: https://venue.streamspot.com/66c95b9b. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Route 82, Kennett Square, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Aline's name and memory to the Kennett Library Capital Campaign. (https://kennettlibrary.org/donate/) To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com Arrangements by the Kuzo Funeral Home, Kennett Square, PA.