Ruth Graham Conaghan

DEVON — Ruth Graham Conaghan passed away peacefully at her home in Devon on Feb. 11, 2022, surrounded by her devoted husband, Tom, and loving family. Ruth was born on May 21, 1955, in Kingston, the daughter of Stuart E. Graham and Ruth Hourigan Graham.

Ruth graduated from Wyoming Seminary in Kingston and later earned a degree from the University of Denver. During her years at Wyoming Seminary, she was asked to play on the boys' basketball team because of her extraordinary athletic abilities. Tennis was her favorite sport and she continued to play until she became ill. While always competitive, Ruth was sure to make those with less talent enjoy the game.

Throughout her life, Ruth made a lasting impression on everyone she met because of her spectacular generosity in every meaning of the word. Ruth loved people and her greatest joy was finding ways to quietly help people in any way they needed.

Ruth moved to the Philadelphia area in 1983 and started an employee benefit firm, Creative Benefits. Since that time, Creative Benefits as grown into one of the largest independent employee benefit firms in the Philadelphia area. The firm has been named among the best top 10 employers for whom to work in the metropolitan area as well as one of the top woman owned businesses. Whether you were an employee or a client, you were "family" to Ruth. She always had your best interest as her main priority. Throughout her career, and her personal life, Ruth went out of her way to ensure she was doing the right thing no matter how hard that was at times.

From her early childhood, Ruth loved the westerns, cowboys and horses and always dreamed of spending time in the west. In 1995, she made this dream a reality and built a family ranch in Westcliffe, Colo.," Snowy Peaks." She quickly became a respected and loved member of the community.

Ruth met and married the love of her life, Tom Conaghan, in 2001. Tom shared Ruth's love of the west and they built the B-B Ranch in Westcliffe for breeding and training horses. When in Westcliffe, Ruth never missed a trail ride in the mountains on her magnificent horse, Promise.

Ruth shared the beauty of Snowy Peaks with an untold number of friends all of whom were treated to a mountain ride on her well-trained herd of horses.

Ruth is survived by her husband Thomas B. Conaghan; her two brothers, Stuart Graham and his wife Kate, John Graham and his wife, Patricia; and her sister, Carolyn McLaughlin-Smith and husband, Dave. Ruth was predeceased by her sister, Christina Graham Ouellette. Ruth is also survived by two stepdaughters, Meghan Conaghan and Gillian Conaghan; nieces, Cameron Graham, Macee Keelan, Devon Hammonds; nephews, Philip Ouellette, Stuart Graham, John McLaughlin, and Nicholas Ouellette, as well as numerous great-nephews and nieces and four step granddaughters.

A Mass to celebrate Ruth's life will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, at Saint Norbert's Church, 50 Leopard Road, Paoli, PA 19301. Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. Interment will be private.

Ruth's Life Celebration Mass will be available for live stream at https://www.facebook.com/MaugerGivnishFuneralHome/live/

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Francis de Sales School, 917 South 47th Street Philadelphia, PA 19143. www.maugergivnish.com.