Ruth Chadwick Waldman

Ruth Chadwick Waldman, 68, of Kenyon, RI, died Thursday, July 9, in the Dominican Republic. She was the beloved wife of Michael A. Waldman. Ruth was the Associate Dean of the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing, retiring in 2004, after 30 years on the faculty at URI. She loved her family, entertaining, reading, gardening, singing and traveling the world with her husband.

Born in Bangor, Maine, February 12, 1941, she was a daughter of the late John and Hazel Chadwick. Ruth was a resident of Kenyon, RI, and La Tierra Tranquilla, Abragrande, Las Terranas, Samaná, Dominican Republic.

Ruth will be dearly missed by her husband; her sister, Janet C. Winquist and her husband, Melvin, of Worcester, MA; her son, Karl Waldman and his wife, Katharine, of Canton, MA, and her daughter, Karin Robison and her husband, Gary, of Cumberland, RI. She is also survived by her 5 grandchildren: Thomas, Jeffrey and Matthew Waldman, of Canton, and Emily and AJ Welt, of Cumberland.

Ruth graduated from North High School, Worcester, MA, 1958, UMass College of Nursing Cum Laude, 1962, where she was a member of Sigma Kappa, Beta Eta chapter. She earned her Master's Degree from URI in 1973. She was a PhD student at the University of Connecticut. She joined the faculty of the URI College of Nursing in 1974. She quickly earned the reputation of being an excellent classroom and clinical teacher. In 1995, she was appointed Assistant Dean and became the college's first Associate Dean in 2002. Throughout her nursing career, Ruth received numerous awards: US Air Force Nurse Educator, URI Feinstein Service Learning Fellowship, Outstanding Community Outreach, UMass Distinguished Alumni, and Lifetime Achievement from the Delta Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. She was the first member of the nursing faculty to receive the URI Diversity Faculty Excellence (Leadership/Service) Award. A major highlight of her nursing career was working in rural clinics in the Dominican Republic to develop an international community health experience for nursing students.

Ruth was a former board member at South County Hospital, the Visiting Nurse Services of Washington County, a member of The Chorus of Westerly since 1984, and of Christ Church.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 8, at noon, in Christ Church, 7 Elm Street, Westerly, RI. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Intercultural Nursing Inc., 48 Appleton St., Boston, MA, 02116, or The Chorus of Westerly, 119 High Street, Westerly, RI, 02891, or Christ Church.