Ruth Margaret (Blackwell) Law

Ruth Margaret Blackwell Law, age 94, of Ellicott City, Maryland, passed from this life peacefully on November 17, 2017, at her residence of 7 years, Heartlands Village in Ellicott City, MD, in the presence of her family. Born June 7, 1923 in Hagerstown, MD, she was the daughter of the late Albert T. Blackwell, Sr. and Ruth Dayton Blackwell. She is survived by her brothers Judge Albert T. Blackwell, Jr., Esq., age 92, of Severna Park, MD and James D. Blackwell, age 85, of Catonsville, MD. She was preceded in death by her brother Donald M. Blackwell, age 74, of Timonium, MD, and her former husband of 25 years, Lt. Col., ret. Arthur G. Law, MD, age 87, of Vass, NC.  She lived the majority of her long life in Maryland, from Baltimore to Hanover to Bethesda (26 years) to Gaithersburg (27 years) to Ellicott City. She also lived 4 years in Frankfurt, Germany and 1 year in San Antonio, Texas.

Ruth raised her family in Bethesda, MD. Her self-proclaimed greatest love and proudest accomplishment was being a mother, and raising her children. She was the mother of four: Suzanne C. Law, age 67 of Ijamsville, MD; Maj. Thomas A. Law, MD., age 66 of New York, NY ; David S. Law, age 62 of Ijamsville, MD/Seminole, FL, and Maj. Gregory A. Law, MD., age 60 of Ashburn, Virginia.

She was the grandmother of 7: Randy Austin and Kim Hellman; Emily, Stephen and Andrew Law; and Barrett and Kendall Law. She was the great grandmother (GiGi) of 7: Del, Julie, and Arthur Hellman; Oberon and Coretta Austin-Miller; and Josiah and Willow Law. There are also many surviving nieces and nephews.

Ruth Law was educated at the University of Maryland. Her accomplishments included earning a BS in Biology in 1943 in only 3 years at the age of 20, with a near perfect 4.0 GPA. She was Class Valedictorian, a Member of Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society. She also was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She received an MA in Teaching, and an MS in Library Science in 1974.

Her choice of employment was working with children, first her own, then later for Montgomery County Public Schools, as a teacher of grades 7, 8, and 9, and as a librarian/staff member, from 1968 to 1988.

A true intellectual, academician, and scholar, Ruth found abundant joy and fulfillment in reading (voracious appetite), writing, and book collecting. She loved all creative endeavors including art, and especially water color painting; all crafts, especially needlework and quilting; all musical genres and singing, theatre, and dancing. She traveled and enjoyed learning foreign languages. She studied science and loved nature. And she enthusiastically fostered all those varied interests in her children, as well.  She sang in the Glee Club at the University of Maryland as an undergraduate, and in the choir at her church.  She loved going to the Gaithersburg Upcounty Senior Center. Last, but not least, she watched and supported Public Television for many, many years.

Ruth’s Children would like to express a special thank you to Mom’s wonderful caregivers from Phyllis Angels Home Care, and in particular Antoinette Johnson, who became a dear friend to Mom.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Candle Light Funeral Home by Craig Witzke, in Catonsville, MD. Online condolences may be expressed at Witzkefh.com.  Funeral services will be on Saturday, December 9, 2017, at Catonsville United Methodist Church, 4 Melvin Ave. in Catonsville, MD, at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at 12:15pm at Meadowridge Memorial Park in Elkridge, MD, with luncheon reception to follow there, in the Celebration Room.

Memorial donations may be made to public television station WETA 3939 Campbell Ave., Arlington, Virginia., 22206 or weta.org.