Ruth Snapp Hudson

Ruth Snapp Hudson, 91, a longtime resident of Raleigh, NC, died peacefully on January 13, 2019, at her home in Charlottesville, VA, where she had moved in 2014 to be closer to one of her two cherished daughters. She was a retired English teacher from the Wake County Public Schools; a great lover of music and literature; a 1948 graduate of James Madison University; and a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She was preceded in death in 2015 by her loving husband of 64 years, Lonnie Worth Hudson, Jr.

Gwyndolyn Ruth Snapp was born August 29, 1927, in Roanoke, VA, the first-born daughter of Rex Elmer Snapp and Irene Patterson Snapp. At a young age she became known in her community as a talented singer, and her love of music would bring her joy all the years of her life. After Mrs. Hudson graduated from William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA, she and her family moved to Martinsville, VA, where she was a soloist in the choir at First Methodist Church. In 1944 she enrolled at Madison College (now James Madison University) in Harrisonburg, VA, where she studied voice as a lyric soprano, sang with the Glee Club, chaired the Panhellenic Council, and enjoyed a happy social life with her sorority sisters in Sigma Sigma Sigma. She graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science in Education.

After graduation Mrs. Hudson worked as a chemical lab assistant at DuPont in Martinsville, where she met Mr. Hudson, her boss’s best friend. After a whirlwind courtship, Mr. and Mrs. Hudson were married in 1950 in Martinsville. In 1953 the two were transferred to a new DuPont plant in Kinston, NC, where daughters Caroline and Elizabeth were born. In this small eastern North Carolina town, the two made many good friends and bought their first home, and Mrs. Hudson was a soloist with the Queen Street Methodist Church choir. After taking time off from working to raise her two young daughters, Mrs. Hudson earned her teaching certification from East Carolina University, and in 1967 she began her first teaching job at Harvey Junior High in Kinston.

The family moved to Raleigh in 1969, where they joined the Church of the Good Shepherd. Mrs. Hudson began a 21-year career at Carnage Middle School and Ligon Middle School, where she was known as a demanding but beloved English teacher and department chair. She delighted in introducing her students to the works of Shakespeare and Dickens. Though she received many professional awards and accolades, including a teaching award from the Governor of North Carolina, she was most proud of having instilled a love of literature and a respect for the value of grammar and composition skills in hundreds of students, many of whom returned to visit and thank her years after leaving her classroom.

After retiring in 1990, Mrs. Hudson continued to tutor students in grammar and composition, to serve as a judge for student literary contests, and to be an advocate for the “Battle of the Books” reading competition. In addition, she became an accomplished poet in a group of Raleigh English teachers (the “Scribblers”) who met regularly to share their work and support each other’s development as poets. Her poems, capturing the essence of her knowledge, quick wit, observant eye, and love of family, are cherished by her daughters. Mrs. Hudson also enjoyed bridge games with friends, volunteering at the North Carolina Museum of Art, and attending services and concerts at Duke University Chapel.

While Mrs. Hudson faced difficult health challenges during the last decade of her life, she met them with both grace and pragmatism. While her memories faded, she never forgot to express gratitude to those who cared for her, and she delighted them with songs, hugs, and a beautiful smile. She remained a loving, elegant, and gracious Southern lady until her passing.

Mrs. Hudson is survived by her two daughters, Caroline Hudson Lock and her husband Robert C. Lock, of Greensboro, NC, and Elizabeth Hudson Willingham, of Crozet, VA; a brother, Ret. Col. John R. Snapp and his wife Fleana, of Carmel, CA; a sister, Martha S. Perdue and her husband Jerry, of Martinsville, VA; a cherished granddaughter, Rebecca Hudson Willingham of Chicago, IL.; and three step-granddaughters, Jennifer Lock, of Nosara, Costa Rica; Elizabeth Lock, of Erbil, Iraq; and Hannah Phaipanya of Vientiane, Laos.

Mrs. Hudson’s family extends heartfelt thanks to Dr. Seki Balogun, Hospice of the Piedmont, the many devoted caregivers who cared for Mrs. Hudson during her long illness, and the staffs of Martha Jefferson House and CareAdvantage in Charlottesville and ComForCare in Raleigh.

A memorial service celebrating the life of Ruth Snapp Hudson will be held on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel at Saint Mary’s School, 900 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC, with the Rev. Virginia Bain Inman officiating. The family will visit with friends immediately following the service in the Smedes-Emory Parlor in Smedes Hall adjacent to the Chapel. Interment in Oakwood Cemetery will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mrs. Hudson’s memory may be made to the Gab Soon Choi Memorial Scholarship Endowment for Voice in the School of Music, James Madison University College of Visual and Performing Arts, 220 University Blvd., MSC 3603, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 (https://www.jmu.edu/give/where-to-give/college/cvpa.shtml) (select “Gab Soon Choi Memorial Scholarship” from the fund list).

Teague Funeral Home in Charlottesville and Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Raleigh are assisting the family. Online condolences may be offered at www.brownwynneraleigh.com.