Obituary - Grace Henderson Rich

Mrs. Grace Henderson Rich, born in Throgs Neck September 13, 1919, on Eastern Boulevard in the Bronx, the daughter of James Alexander Henderson and Charlotte Fischer Henderson, passed away on January 15^th in St. James, New York, after a long illness. Mrs. Rich, married to Williston C Rich for nearly fifty years, is survived by her daughter, Alexandra Henderson Rich, a son, Williston C. Rich III of Hudson, Ohio, and nieces and nephews who grew up in the surrounding area. Three of Grace’s siblings also resided in St. James, a sister, Ruth Erichsen and two brothers, James and William.  Her older sister, Molly Greene, lived in Ventura, California. 

 Grace, an accelerated student, left junior high school at the age of ten and graduated from Elmira College at 18, when she was “too young to be an adult and too old to engage in teenage activities.” She received a Masters’ Degree at Columbia University and the next year began working at Time Magazine, meeting many people from the world of books and publishing, including Tom Matthews, John Hersey and her future husband, Williston. The couple married in 1945 a few months after the end of WWII and lived for a few years in New York City, according to Grace, “a charmed life in Greenwich Village, a time when the streets of New York were alive, and you never had to wait for anything.”

         The couple moved to Long Island in 1947 to raise their family, and Grace began a career as an educator, establishing venues for her expansive interests and serving the public for decades.  She taught Latin at the Knox School in Head of the Harbor, was a founder of the Harbor Country Day School, and helped to create the nursery school at the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Teller School. Mrs. Rich began teaching in the Smithtown School District Junior High School before moving to the Central High School, where she taught English and then became chairman of the English Department. When a high school opened in 1973 on the west side of town, she accompanied the principal, Alfred Mastrangelo, along with several members of the HS East English department, to continue her role as chairman .  She guided the development of curricula and programs that created a foundation for Smithtown High School West’s department of English.  Mrs. Rich educated a generation of Smithtown’s high school students over a period of 27 years, before retiring in 1983. A Latin, Greek and Biblical scholar, she upheld the love of  literature and the English language, always serving as a model to her teachers and her pupils.  One of her fellow teachers commented that “Grace represented an ideal, something I wanted to aspire to.”   

 Beyond her dedication to education, Grace was passionate about music, especially opera and Ella Fitzgerald, was an avid gardener, a competitive force in crosswords and  a devoted animal lover.  Grace and Alex, her daughter and caretaker for the last seven years, moved from their house in Head of the Harbor to her late sister Ruth’s house in St. James, where they have been living for the past two years.  During this time, Grace’s nephews, Jonathan, David and Peter, owners of the house, as well as her many friends, hospice workers and church fellow parishioners, have all contributed to the well-being of a distinguished woman who has touched many lives. Grace’s funeral was celebrated at the Episcopal Church in St. James. Contributions in lieu of flowers can be sent to: St. James Episcopal Church, 490 North Country Road, St. James, NY 11780; Good Shepherd Hospice, 245 Old Country Road, Melville, NY 11747

Comments

[Valerie Murphy]

I am saddened to hear of the loss of one of my favorite high school teachers. I have nothing but the fondest of memories of Mrs Rich who always comported herself in the most distinguished way. She was a wonderful role model to her students, an obvious testimony to her since I graduated in 1962, and still have warm memories of this elegant lady..