Elizabeth W. Rucker

Elizabeth Williams Rucker, Also known as Yib, passed away on December 4, 2015. Born on December 31, 1917 in New Hope (now Sunnyvale), Dallas County, Texas, she was the descendant of Dallas pioneer families. Her parents were Harry and Bettie Samuell Williams and grandparents were Col. W. L. and Mrs. Lucinda Beckley Williams and H.O. and Mrs. Sallie Worthington Samuell. She attended The Hockaday School and Highland Park High School, where she graduated in 1935. AT S.M.U., she earned her B. A. in Painting in 1939. She studied art from Jerry Bywater, Otis Dozier and Boardman Robinson. While at S. M. U. , she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and of Mortar Board. During World War II, she served as office manager at the first blood bank in Dallas at Baylor Hospital. She married Joseph B. Rucker Jr. on May 5, 1945. She served as Director of Membership at the Dallas Museum of Art from 1973 to 1983 and was later receptionist at the Dallas Country Club. Her civic service included the S.M.U. Alumni Association, board member of the Southwest Hospitality Board of the Metropolitan Opera, art committee of the Goodrich Gallery at the First United Methodist Church of Dallas and volunteer at the Meadows Museum.

Preceded in death in 2005 by her husband of 60 years, Joseph.

She is survived by sons Joseph B. Rucker III, Harry Williams Rucker and Charles Gillespie Rucker (Ann); grandchildren Daniel Joseph Rucker, Sarah Ann Rucker, Emily Hastings Rucker and Andrew Gillespie Rucker; and great-granddaughters Chloe Rucker and Emerson Rucker.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, December 19, 2015 in the Dickerson Chapel at the First United Methodist Church of Dallas at Ross Avenue and Harwood Street in downtown Dallas.