Ruth B. Daly

Ruth B. Daly, Chili; coloratura soprano, aquatics instructor, and International Friendship Council board member went to sing with the angels on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at the age of 96 Predeceased by her husband, Frank A. Daly, she leaves her treasured family of 5 children, 13 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews to model and carry on the values and traditions she worked tirelessly to cultivate. Ruth was the only child of Don & Mary Beaver, of West Pawlet, Vermont – a small community on the New York/Vermont border north of the Albany Capitol District. Being a music teacher, Mary introduced her daughter to both the piano and violin at an early age, however singing is what Ruth loved most and is what gained local attention. She began competing in talent shows, which were quite popular during the 30s and 40s, and soon became something of a local celebrity. Upon graduating from high school she left her small town and went to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Originally enrolled in a three-year vocal certificate program, her light, lilting coloratura soprano voice quickly gained recognition within the school and before the end of her junior year she was offered a full scholarship to extend her training and complete her bachelor’s degree. In 1951, immediately upon graduating from the NEC, Ruth married her high school sweetheart, Frank Daly, and within two years had moved to Rochester, NY where they spent the rest of their lives together until Frank’s death in 2019. Throughout those years, Ruth continued her singing career in church choirs at St. Paul’s Episcopal (~1953-1956), St. Stephen’s Episcopal (~1956-1967 & again as an octogenarian), and finally at Lake Avenue Baptist (~1967-1980), in addition to The Rochester Chorale with Milford Fargo (1970s). Great classical works with soprano solos were graced by her talent and the beauty of her voice, foremost among these – both Brahm’s and Mozart’s Requiems. To know this side of Ruth, however, was to only know a small fraction of what she accomplished during her life. Her family was by far the most important aspect of her life. Having been an only child herself, the decision to have a large family was certain from the start. Carrie (Baxter) was born in 1952, Brad followed within the year, then over the next several years, Mary Lu, Libby (Nagalski), and Jay. It was important to both Frank and Ruth that their children have opportunities and experiences that would mold them into well-rounded people capable of becoming their best selves. They worked as a team to this end, with Frank developing the vision and Ruth tasked with bringing that vision to life. It was no easy feat with a family of five, but Ruth always magically juggled and balanced her time, energy and, most importantly, resources for each child and each project. During the early years the Daly house was playground central – the place on the corner where all the neighborhood children gathered for yard games, tetherball, tree swings, or swimming in the backyard pool. Everyone was welcome as long as rules were followed. And Ruth was always on hand to make sure of this – no one wanted to be banished by Mrs. Daly! She was like most mothers of this generation – one of the original multi-taskers: budget director, chef, seamstress, Christmas stocking knitter, domestic superintendent, chauffeur, maintenance supervisor – and these were just the household responsibilities! In the early 60s, when the children all got involved in swimming, she joined them and earned her lifesaving and water safety instructor’s certifications, then started a learn-to-swim program for 2- 4-year-olds at the Arnett YMCA. Hundreds of toddlers in the city of Rochester learned to swim during her time at the Y. When Carrie and Brad joined the swim team, she and Frank quickly became involved in all aspects of competitive swimming: Frank in the coaching and Ruth in team and meet administration. There were team rosters to compile, phone trees to coordinate, officials and meet personnel to train and schedule, team reports and records to compile and maintain, applications to be filed… the list was endless and none of it was done electronically in the 60s; it was all done by hand and by volunteers like Ruth. She later took over the aquatic development programs at Churchville-Chili High School (~1975-1990). Hundreds, if not thousands, more children learned to swim through this program. In addition, a mentoring program she developed trained the older swimmers as instructors-in-training, eventually moving them up the ranks to full instructors. Scores of teenagers were employed during her tenure here and many later became coaches and teachers. A child of the Great Depression, teenager of World War II, bride of the Cold War era, and parent of five living through the turbulent 60s and 70s – Ruth was a living chronicle of history. Her experiences were the things that most only read about or see in movies, and they contributed to her desire to extend her horizons beyond her small-town upbringing. As the family grew up and the children entered their teen years, Ruth and Frank joined the Rochester International Friendship Council – an association of families throughout the greater Rochester region that participated in welcoming foreign university students and providing them with comfort and friendship while away from their homes. Students from around the globe were welcomed into the house for family gatherings, holidays, parties, trips to local attractions, or anything that shared a typical American family lifestyle. Despite her own experiences that were governed by the fears of the country at the time, Ruth welcomed young adults from England, India, Wales, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Argentina, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Russia, Kenya, and China into the family maintaining lifelong friendships with many of them – including multiple generations in some cases! She also stepped into an administrative role with the organization taking on the role of matching and assigning incoming students with host families. As a result of this international exposure, three of her own children traveled to the Philippines, Argentina, and France as exchange students during their high school years at Gates-Chili High School. Her fondest memories came after the flurry of raising children faded and grandchildren began to enter the picture. Carrie's sons: Matthew (Portland, Maine), Jamie (Portland, Oregon), and Andrew Baxter (Bend, Oregon); Brad's daughters: Carrie Gonzales (Walla Walla, Washington) and LesLee Bickford (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Mary Lu's children: Alana (Atlanta, Georgia) and Dylan Mango (Mount Horeb, Wisconsin); Libby's daughter: Sarah Jane Smith (Everett, Washington); and Jay's children: Justin and Kayla Smith (Rochester, New York), Michael and April Daly (Wolcott, New York), and Katrina Daly (Geneseo, New York) each had a unique perspective of grandma; they were filled with memories of their time spent with her. Trips to Washington, DC and many summers on Honeoye Lake were the highlights – again, Frank was the planner while Ruth handled the arrangements, did the cooking and most of the driving (she did love to drive!). She knew each child’s favorite food and had it served up within minutes of their walking in the back door: grilled cheese sandwiches (with real Vermont sharp cheddar), hamburgers, and tuna fish sandwiches (made with Miracle Whip, not mayo!). She was happiest when surrounded by family. A private family celebration is planned in Vermont, and the family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be directed to the New England Conservatory of Music (Boston, MA) in Ruth’s name https://necmusic.edu/give/

Ruth B. Daly

February 13, 2026