Ruby Fricks Obituary

Ruby Inez McLeod Fricks COLUMBIA, SC - Funeral service for Ruby Inez McLeod Fricks, 88, will be held at 12:00 noon Tuesday, August 27, 2013, at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, with entombment in the Greenlawn Memorial Park Mausoleum. The family will receive friends from 11:00 until 12:00 noon prior to the service at the funeral home. Mrs. Ruby McLeod Fricks was born on November 3, 1924, in Florence County, S.C. and passed away peacefully on Friday, August 23, 2013. She was the oldest of six children born to the late Pauline and Reuel McLeod. Mrs. Fricks was educated in the public school system and was the valedictorian of her high school class. She received her bachelor's degree from Winthrop College, her master's degree from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont and continued to further her education at the University of South Carolina, the Citadel and the Sorbonne, University of Paris, France. Mrs. Fricks was the recipient of a Fulbright Grant and was a member of two international honorary organizations for female teachers; Alpha Delta Kappa and the Delta Kappa Gamma Society. Her career of choice was teaching and she taught at a number of schools both in Florida and in South Carolina, finishing her teaching career at Garrett High School, North Charleston, S.C. Mrs. Fricks held numerous offices in her professional teaching career: President of the Cooper River Classroom Teachers Association, the South Carolina Education Association (SCEA) Department of Modern Languages, the SCEA Department of Classroom Teachers, the Beta Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, the Charleston County Education Association, State Chairman of the National French Contest sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French; Secretary of the S.C. Chapter of the Association of Teachers of French, Chairman of the SCEA Election Committee, Chairman of the SCEA Commission of Teacher Education and Professional Standards, Parliamentarian of the SCEA Association of Classroom Teachers and the Charleston County Education Association and was a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee, the NCATE Evaluation Team, a life member the NEA and President of SCEA. Mrs. Fricks was also very active in her community. Her community participation included teacher, mission studies, vacation Bible school, church school; member of the Christian Service, North Charleston Methodist Church, special projects sponsored by the Salvation Army, the United Church Women, Star Gospel Mission for underprivileged and in various other fund drives. After moving to Columbia, Mrs. Fricks worked in the Federal Grant section of the State Department of Education. Following that, she was honored to serve under the Administration of the former Governor James B. Edwards, finishing a term as the Executive Assistant to the Governor for Education and Manpower. After her retirement as an educator, Mrs. Fricks launched a second career as a real estate agent with Russell Jeffcoat Realtors and remained an active agent for over 30 years. Surviving are son, George (Gail) Fricks, Jr. of Chapin; granddaughters, Tamara (Andrew) Barnes of Gilbert, Jessica (Matthew) Hagen of Philadelphia, Penn., great-granddaughters, Kaylee and Riley; brother, Reuel (Carole) McLeod of Orangeburg and sister, Kathleen Davis of Columbia. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband of 49 years, George William Fricks Sr.; brothers, Bill and George McLeod and sister, Mary Ellen DeFee. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Susan DeBerry, RN, Mrs. Fricks caregiver. She made it possible for Mrs. Fricks to return home and live her remaining days in the comfort of her own home. Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 810 Dutch Square Blvd., Suite 114, Columbia SC 29210. Please sign the online guestbook at www.dunbarfunerals.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston