Ruth Chism, fed and clothed the needy, dies at 89

SOME OF THE needy people who came to Ruth Chism's Guiding Light Mission in West Philadelphia got more than the food and clothing she provided.

They got Ruth Chism.

They were a mixed bag of the city's outcasts, the poor, the homeless, the drug abusers, the drunks, the prostitutes. She treated each one as an individual, giving hugs and words of concern and wisdom along with the food.

They all knew one thing for certain: Ruth Chism loved them.

"She treated every one of them the way she would have treated the president of the United States," said her sister, Katherine Sheppard.

Ruth Chism, who worked for 40 years in the garment industry before embarking on her mission to feed and salve the pain of the city's needy, died Saturday. She was 89 and was living in Bellevue, Neb., but had lived most of her life in Philadelphia.

Ruth, a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Philadelphia, was a talented musician, skilled on the piano and organ, and was in demand to play at churches of other denominations in the city.

She was also a legendary cook.

"She would announce, 'I made cinnamon rolls. Come and get them.' And everybody would rush there. If you were late, you didn't get any," her sister said.

After she retired from the clothing industry, where she was a proud member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, Ruth joined a literacy program started by former Mayor W. Wilson Goode, teaching people to read.

She and a friend then started the Guiding Light Mission at Wiota Street and Fairmount Avenue.

She served a full meal on Wednesdays, with little extra touches like crudites and dips on the tables. On Saturdays, as part of the Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath, she served light meals along with Bible studies. She also put out used clothing for her clientele.

"Some of the people who came there weren't very clean," her sister said. "They smelled bad. It didn't matter to her, she would hug them anyway. I don't know how she did it. That's when you have love in your heart for everybody.

"She would fuss at them about using drugs; she would fuss at the prostitutes. They didn't mind because they knew she cared about them."

Ruth was born in Philadelphia to Lucy and John Augustus Graham. She graduated from Girls High School in 1939. The family lived in various sections of the city as she was growing up.

She was married to Edward Chism, a sign painter. The marriage ended in divorce, and he is deceased.

Ruth showed a talent for music when she was 6 or 7, and her mother brought in a woman to teach her piano.

"After a while, she told her mother, 'Don't bring her back. I know more than she does,' " Katherine said.

At one point, there was a piano in the living room and an organ in the dining room.

Ruth became so proficient on both that she was in demand to play at churches and other events. She also had a beautiful singing voice that she used to lift up hymns in praise.

"She tried to teach herself guitar," her sister said. "I don't know how that came out."

Ruth taught young people to play piano and organ, and one of her students was her grandson, John Stoddart, who became a well-known musician, singer, composer and producer in the realm of religious music, performing throughout the world.

She was a skilled seamstress who made clothing for friends and family, specializing in wedding gowns, and she also taught sewing.

For some years, she was involved in the city's Healthy Start program, working with pregnant women and young mothers to reduce infant mortality.

In 2001, she was honored for her community work by Peco Energy during a ceremony at halftime of an Eagles game.

She was presented with an oversize check for $1,000 and posed for pictures. She was delighted to meet former Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael during the ceremony.

The walls of her house were lined with framed honors.

About four years ago, she announced, "I'm tired."

She moved to Bellevue, Neb., to live with her son, Edward, an Air Force career man.

Besides her sister and son, she is survived by two other sons, Wesley and Thomas; two daughters, Eloise Stoddart and Julia Hawkins; 22 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services: July 6 in Bellevue, Neb.