Obituary of Ruth Horton Metzler

Fairport: Born August 4, 1927, died Friday, August 28, 2020 at the age of 93. Predeceased by her husband, Henry (2002), her brother, Marvin Horton (2012), and her daughter-in-law, Linda (2019). She is survived by her children, Kathy (Ross) Bower, Ron Metzler, Jan (Neil) Comstra and Peg (Don) Mauer; grandchildren, Tonia Bower, Adrianne Gray, Neil Comstra, Erin Genge, Kerri Dailor, Kevin Comstra, Rebecca Gaura, Jenn Giles and Sara Hardy;  many great-grandchildren;  sister, Dorothy Clapp.

 Ruth May Horton was born in Eden, NY to Bernice (Tanner) and J. Morris Horton. She was the eldest of three children and she was always very close to her sister, Dorothy.

Ruth attended Wheaton College, and then Wilmington College, where she earned her BA cum laude. She earned her Master’s in Library Science from SUNY Geneseo in 1962. She started her career as a K-12 Librarian in Nunda, NY and worked her way up to Head Librarian in Irondequoit High School. She was a Certified Teacher and School Library Media Specialist until she retired in 1984.

She married Henry G. Metzler on September 4, 1948, and they had four children: Kathy, Ron, Jan, and Peg. After her children left home, Ruth pursued her interest in family history, and was active in the Rochester Genealogical Society, the Kodak Genealogy Club, and other genealogy groups. She taught "Researching Your Family History" at the Rochester Museum and Science Center for many years, and wrote several family histories. She loved researching and writing.

Mom was a devoted wife and mother, and a great example of Christian love and patience. She supported Dad during his whole career, including moving to Peoria IL, Wilmington OH, Warsaw NY, Nunda NY, and Irondequoit. Mom was a church pianist and organist for many years, and she taught Sunday School and gave piano lessons. She was active in every church that she attended.

Mom often said that everything that she loved started with “G” – God, Grandchildren, Genealogy, and Gardening. Mom loved to work in her garden, and she built a garden and stone wall at every house. Gardening was her therapy. She also loved sitting around the campfire at “Eden Too.” Mom especially loved spending time with her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. She was the Matriarch of a 5-generation family for over three years. She started a family tradition of “Cookie Day” when her first grandchildren were toddlers, and it continues to this day. She always had time for a chat, and especially loved it when family members came to visit. Mom was truly “a woman who fears the Lord” and has been a mentor to each of us and many of her other students. We know that Heaven is rejoicing to have her there today, but we will miss her terribly until we see her again."

Visiting hours on Thurs., September 3 are from 2-4 PM at Willard H. Scott Funeral Home, 12 South Ave., Webster.  Private Funeral Service will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Fairport Baptist Homes.