Ruth Lee Ries

QUEENSBURY -- Ruth Lee Ries, 62, passed away at home surrounded by her family on Wednesday, May 9, 2007, after a courageous battle with cancer. Throughout her final journey, Ruth often referred to a quote by Albert J. Nimeth: "If we learn to cooperate with the inevitable, life can be a joy to the very end."

Ruth was born in Bound Brook, N.J., on Dec. 10, 1944, to A. Pauline (Teyka) and Benjamin E. Carroll Jr.

She attended Bound Brook High School, where she was a proud member of the Color Guard.

Upon graduation, she was employed with Johnson & Johnson as an accounts receivable associate.

Ruth married James William Ries, her husband of 40 years, on March 18, 1967. Ruth took great pride in the fact that her employment during the early years of their marriage helped finance Jim's college education.

After starting a family in 1969, the couple moved from Bound Brook to Carthage, N.Y., before settling for a time in Westwood, N.J. There, Ruth devoted herself to being a full-time mother and homemaker. She also participated in her daughter's Brownie troop and taught Sunday school at the Westwood United Methodist Church.

In 1978, Ruth moved with her family to Queensbury, where she lived until the time of her death.

Over the years, Ruth pursued a career in retail with J.C. Penney, Anderson Little, The Village Collection and Orvis. However, her full-time passion was caring for her family

and home. In recent years, Ruth proudly adopted the title of

base camp manager. She supervised the comings and goings of her adult children and she supported and gave meaning to all of her family's expeditions in life.

When Ruth wasn't devoting herself to others she could be found working in her garden and yard, reading or spending time in the company of her dogs. She had a lifelong love of the ocean. Her favorite places included the beaches of Long Beach Island, N.J., and more recently Ogunquit, Maine.

Lesser-known pastimes included working the morning crossword puzzle, marathon viewing of the Fox News Network and listening to talk radio.

Ruth was predeceased by her parents, Pauline and Benjamin Carroll, and her uncle, Edward "Unkie" Teyka.

Survivors include her husband, James W. Ries of Queensbury; daughters, Stacey A. Ries of Huntington, N.Y., and Nancy E. Ries of Boston, Mass.; her sister, Joy Warner and her husband, Frank, of Washington, N.J.; a nephew, Todd Warner and his wife, Liz, of Washington, N.J., and their sons, Cole and Matthew Warner; and a niece, Jennifer Schneider and her husband, Jeff, of Whitehouse Station, N.J., and their daughters, Jillian and Jordan Schneider.

A funeral service will be conducted at 4 p.m. Monday, May 14, at Regan & Denny Funeral Home, 53 Quaker Road, Queensbury, with the Rev. Flossie Bates officiating.

Family and friends are invited and may call from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday at the funeral homeIn lieu of flowers, donations in Ruth's memory can be made to The C.R. Wood Cancer Center, Glens Falls Hospital, 102 Park St., Glens Falls, NY 12801; High Peaks Hospice, 286 Glen St., Glens Falls, NY 12801; or the American Cancer Society, 959 Route 9, Mount Royal Plaza, Queensbury, NY 12804.