Mary E. Rucker

Mary Ethel (Harin) Rucker, 96, passed peacefully into Heaven at the Greenspring retirement community in Springfield. Her three loving daughters were at her side.

Mary was born in Carteret, New Jersey on January 6, 1919 to Hungarian immigrants Janos (John) and Zsofi (Sofie) [nee Nemeth] Hari(n). The family moved to Caldwell, New Jersey in 1929. Growing up, Mary loved to read and write, was passionate about classical music, opera, ballet and drama, and enjoyed many wonderful movies at the old Park Theater on Bloomfield Avenue. In 1937, she graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in Caldwell with a commercial diploma and worked for several years as a typist/stenographer.

She enlisted with the WAVES, US Navy, in May 1944, receiving basic training at the US Naval Training Center, Bronx, NY, held at Hunter College. She also attended service school in Stillwater, Oklahoma before being assigned to the US Naval School (Electronics), Treasure Island, San Francisco, California. She served with excellence for five years as a secretary/stenographer, achieving the rank of Yeoman 1st Class.

In 1946, Mary met Thomas Jackson Rucker, a Georgia native, while singing in the choir at the US Naval Chapel on Treasure Island. They married there in 1948 and embarked on a life of service within the US Navy for the next 31 years.

Mary was a consummate wife, mother, and friend at numerous duty stations along the Eastern seaboard, including two years in Taipei, Taiwan (1965-1967). She imbued her children with a firm sense of love, honor and commitment to God, family and country. She enriched their lives by sharing with them her deep appreciation for great literature, poetry, art, history and music, her exuberance for travel, and her love for the treasures of classic cinema. Her sweet nature and love of the comedic endeared her to all.

Throughout her life, Mary was an excellent baker and cook who prepared many dishes from memories of her own mother’s cooking. She was a good seamstress, too, even creating a christening gown in 1978 that has since been worn by all her grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. At many duty stations, she participated in events through the Navy Wives Clubs and served as a Red Cross hospital volunteer. In 1965-66, while the family was stationed in Taipei, Taiwan, she devoted many hours to typing a new Taiwanese-English dictionary published by the Taipei Language Institute.

She is predeceased by her parents Janos and Zsofi, two sisters Johanna and Emma, and five brothers John, Stephen, Francis, Joseph and Alexander (Sonny), as well as her husband Thomas of 47 years.

Surviving are three daughters, Janet Rucker Webb (Jack) of Springfield, VA, Robin Rucker Sullivan (John) of South Bend, IN, and Leigh Ann Rucker of Harrisonburg, VA, as well as seven grandchildren: Mary (Greg) Ratliff, Thomas (Meggan) Sullivan, Kevin (Leanne) Sullivan, Genevieve Sullivan, Stephen Sullivan, Meredith (Matthew) Phillips, and Colin Webb, and six great-granddaughters: Jacqueline, Elise, Caroline, Rachel, Katharine and Mary Kate.

Plans are pending for a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. For details, please visit the online guestbook at www.demainefunerals.com (Demaine Funeral Home, 5308 Backlick Road, Springfield, Virginia 22151, 703-941-9428).

Memorial contributions may be made to The United States Navy Memorial, www.navymemorial.org.