Ruth Shafer Stork

Ruth was born in Oak Park, IL in 1939 to Ruth and James Shafer. Her Chicago upbringing included a love for her family, the cello, and the Cubs. She was proud to be a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and would often regale her family about lugging her cello on the El for practices.

Ruth met the love of her life, Alan Stork, at the U of R in an English class in 1957, and their friendship grew over the next couple of years in the marching band, where Ruth was in the percussion, and Al played tuba. By 1960, they were dating, playing bridge, and building memories. They were married in Oak Park, IL in December of 1961. They returned to Rochester, and Ruth received her BS in Nursing from the University of Rochester, after which she began nursing at Strong Memorial Hospital. Their first child, Lynn James was born in 1962, and the family moved to Greece. Their second child Emily Catherine was born in 1965, and Elizabeth Caroline was born in 1968. The family moved to Henrietta, where Ruth would become a member of the District Parent Advisory Council, and eventually the president of the Rush-Henrietta school board. Between 1970 and 1979, Ruth was Den Mother for Lynn’s Cub Scouts troupe and was a group leader for Emily’s Campfire Girls troupe, where she also trained other leaders in camping and survival skills. In 1984, Ruth was awarded a certificate for Health Assessment from Nazareth University, and in 1991 received an MS in Education from Syracuse University.

Between 1963 and 2013, Ruth taught throughout the state, consulting for the John Jay College for Criminal Justice teaching medical terminology and serving as clinical instructor for the Rochester Business Institute, the University of Rochester, Roberts Wesleyan College, the Rochester City School District, Monroe Community College, Rochester Institute of Technology, the Rochester General Hospital System, and Nazareth University. She was honored to be part of a faculty exchange program through the Nazareth University and a college in Finland. In 2009, the Nazareth University Department of Nursing Students voted her “Outstanding Teacher of the Year.” Throughout her retirement, Ruth developed a course on test taking strategies for the NCLEX and offered it to aspiring nurses.

Ruth loved her family, including the furry family members, Rocket and Alexandria. She also believed strongly in service, and could always be found knitting hats for children and cancer patients, or sewing blankets for the unhoused. She volunteered to assist bird banding activities at Braddock Bay Bird Observatory. Never ones to sit still for long, Ruth and Al were on the golf course several times a week in the warm weather and bowled on several bowling leagues throughout the rest of the year. Ruth met her good friends for bridge games weekly. She was very funny and could make friends with anyone she met.

In her final days, Ruth was moved to be cared for at Rochester General Hospital by some of the very nurses she taught.

Ruth is preceded in death by her parents and her sister Susan Helfer. She is survived by husband Alan Stork, and children Lynn Stork, Emily Stork (Jenni Werner), Elizabeth Stork (Yvette Stork), and grandchildren Rae Allison-Stork, Link Allison-Stork, Skye Freeman, and Casey Stork-Werner.

Calling hours will be held at NewComer Funeral Home, 2636 Ridgeway Ave., Rochester, NY 14626 on Tuesday, October, 21 from 4-7pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Nazareth College Nursing Department, in memory of Ruth Stork, to assist nursing students in need. Donations can be made online at www.giving.naz.edu, or mailed to Nazareth University, 4245 East Ave., Office of Advancement, Rochester, NY 14618.