Obituary of Rhoda L. Meyer

Schenectady- Rhoda Lea Ruth Carolyn Meyer passed into eternal rest on Tuesday, September 7th, at the youthful age of 92. Born in New York, New York on March 24th, 1918, she was the seventh child of Natalia Carolyn (Kungs) and Leonard Joseph Fagen, immigrants from Russia. Her father, Leonard, served as a personal guard to the last Czar of Russia, Nicholas II. She was predeceased by her husband of 49 years, Kenneth H. Meyer, M.D., a well known physician in the Schenectady area. She is survived by her three children - Kenneth H. Meyer, Jr. of Albany, New York; Karolee H. Moore and her husband, Kenneth, of Schenectady, New York; and Klaudia H. Meyer, and partner, Lori, of Bend, Oregon - as well as her four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Ruth, as everyone knew her, was a lively, independent youth educated in Nyack, New York. At the age of 17, she became a nurse's aide at the local hospital, and through her experiences there, decided to become a nurse, earning her RN from Rockland State Hospital. She was a skilled operating room nurse in New York City prior to serving our country in the South Pacific during World War II as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Medical Corp (1943 to 1945). As an Army nurse, she comforted countless hundreds of wounded and dying soldiers. In her typical fashion, she was very modest in recounting how she earned her Bronze Star for valor during a bomb attack on her encampment. Her service, along with many other brave women, is commemorated at the Women's War Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was during her service in the Philippines that she was to meet her future husband, Kenneth. Following the war, they were married in Delanson, New York, on October 12th, 1946, and with the assistance of the G.I. Bill, they continued their educations in New York City - she by attending Hunter College, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Home Economics, and he by obtaining his medical degree while attending Cornell Medical College. Dr. Meyer then did his residency at Ellis Hospital, where he was affiliated for over 30 years and served as Chief Medical Officer in the 1980s. Ruth also worked at Ellis as a private duty nurse prior to starting their family in 1951. She continued to support her husband by managing his family practice until his retirement in 1975. Her life-long love of learning led her to complete her Master's Degree in Education at Union College in 1967, and she continued to educate herself by reading various medical publications regarding the advancements in the healthcare field. She was always a loving and devoted mother to the three children she affectionately referred to as Kenny, Lee, and Dee. She also adored and enjoyed her grandchildren - Natalee, Kennedee, Patrick, and Kacey. In her later years, she relished in the antics of her beloved great-granddaughter, Dameree. She also loved, and was loved, by her children's many friends, especially Darlene Schwarz, whom she cared for as another daughter, her son in-law, Ken, and her daughter in-law, Lori. It gave her great joy to attend various family celebrations and outings with her family to historical venues and restaurants, especially the Otesaga Hotel, in Cooperstown, New York. She was a passionate wife, mother, nurse and caregiver, who firmly believed in giving back, and was a quiet, charitable contributor to various causes. For many years, she volunteered for the Schenectady Chapter of the American Red Cross and supported numerous organizations for the well-being and care of our American Veterans. Services will be private and there will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to Schenectady Hospice.