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Ruth Geanacopoulos
October 02, 2019

Obituary

Ruth Kennedy Geanacopoulos died peacefully in her home in Longmeadow on October 2, in the loving company of her family and friends. Ruth was born on Bell Street in Chicopee on December 11, 1924 to Katherine Wynn Kennedy and Dr. John Francis Kennedy, a dentist who later became the city’s postmaster. She attended Holy Name School with her late dear friend Therese Corridan née Hafey before graduating with a degree in mathematics from the College of Our Lady of the Elms. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, Ruth worked as a buyer in New York City for Springfield’s Forbes and Wallace Department Store. She was the devoted wife of Judge Socrates Geanacopoulos and lived at 89 Washington Street in Chicopee Falls (and later at 498 Converse Street in Longmeadow) where she raised her sons Mark, Stephen, David, and John, of Olney, Maryland; Norfolk, Massachusetts; Mclean, Virginia, and Boston, Massachusetts; respectively. Her dear sister Eileen, niece Sheila and brother Maurice predeceased her. In addition to her sons, she leaves her niece Ellen Meehan Norton of Portland, Maine and her nephew Jeffrey Meehan of Longmeadow. She is also survived by five granddaughters, Danielle, Christina, Alexandra, Sophia, and Margaret. Ruth and her husband Socrates had a gift for making friends and spent many memorable weekends with her sister Eileen and her husband Luke, Bill and Adele Bowler, Tom and Rosalie Dowd, Ray and Marie Fontaine, Richard and Judy Gelinas, and Pat and Jack Ross, among many others. After the death of her husband in 1972, she began a career in vocational and technical education, chiefly at Chicopee Comprehensive High School, where she instituted innovative programs in technology training and was a patient counselor to her students and a tireless advocate for their interests. In retirement, Ruth enjoyed summer days on Groton Long Point, visits to Nantucket and Cape Cod, picnics at Tanglewood, trips to New York, voyages to Greece, motor tours of the Pioneer Valley, and listening to the opera. Among her closest companions in these endeavors were her life-long friend Adele Bowler, who she met while working as a buyer in New York, Rosalie Dowd, Mary Rozantes, Claire Mcmanus, Helen Cosgriff, Eleanor Glynn, Norbert Neffinger, and Marte Beauchamp. In her later years, Ruth treasured the friendship of her wonderful neighbors Arlene and Joseph Reich, and, most recently, the devoted care and friendship of Margaret Ruddy, Nichole Coss, Nita Demos, Stephanie Danek, and Meiyeh Galvin, for which her family is extremely grateful. The recent marriages of her granddaughters Danielle and Alexandra were joyful highlights of her final year. Visiting hours for Ruth will be on Saturday, October 5, from 9:30 to 11:00 AM at the Grisé Funeral Home at 280 Springfield Street in Chicopee, followed by a Mass at 11:30 AM, in the St. Joseph Chapel of the College of Our Lady of the Elms, which is directly across the street from the funeral home. Per request of the College, we suggest anyone going to the funeral to please park at the funeral home and not at the Elms College. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Elms College, 291 Springfield St, Chicopee, MA 01013. For online condolences, please visit www.GriseFH.com.

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Grisé Funeral Home
280 Springfield Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
413-594-4189