Mary Ruth Spann Queen

Mary Ruth Spann Queen, 90, passed away Thursday, January 15, 2015 at The Bridge at Lake Pointe Landing. Mrs. Queen was born in Buncombe County to the late Joseph Daniel Spann and Lydia Holliman Spann. She was also preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, James Billy Queen; two brothers, William Howard Spann and Franklin Daniel Spann; one sister, Thelma Spann Williams and one son-in-law, Richard Larry Crouch. Ruth's life was dedicated to volunteerism and she had a heart for active service to others. She was a member of Biltmore Baptist Church since the early 1950s. She logged more than 25, 000 volunteer hours at St. Joseph's Hospital, where she was a buyer for the Gift Shop and an officer in the Hospital Guild. She belonged to the Asheville Quota Club, helping the hearing-impaired and the deaf, and to United Commercial Travelers, helping with projects at the Irene Wortham Day Care Center. During the fall of 2014, Ruth was presented her 50-year membership pin from Biltmore Chapter #38 OES where she served as Worthy Matron, President of the Sewing Club, a long-standing Treasurer, Grand Representative to the state of Michigan and on various Grand Chapter committees. As a resident in Biltmore Village, Ruth and her husband, Bill, owned Village Square Paint and Decorating which was among the first businesses to be housed in one of the Biltmore Cottages. Their properties were a part of the originally registered properties in the Historical Preservation Society. Ruth had many artistic talents and hobbies. In her spare time, she enjoyed china painting and crocheting. She loved to bake and hosted various social events for family and friends. She created beautiful silk floral arrangements, some of which were sold in the St. Joseph's Gift Shop. She is survived by her two daughters, Paula Smith and her husband, Bob, and Kathy Stafford and her husband, James; a sister, Mildred Spann Tripp; four grandchildren, Kristina Bentley (Michael), Jeremy Stafford (Nilda), Heidi Little (Conrad) and Erik Crouch (Stephanie); seven great-grandchildren, James, Jane, Conrad, Julia, Harper, Easton and Karlee; a sister-in-law, Fredricka Spann; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and many sincere caregivers, Julia Jones, Four Seasons Hospice and the staff at the Bridge at Lake Pointe Landing. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, January 19, 2015 in the chapel of Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian on Long Shoals Road. Burial will follow at Green Hills Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, from 1:00-2:00 PM on Monday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Irene Wortham Center in Asheville (www.ireneworthamcenter.org/donate) or to the NC School for the Deaf, 517 W. Fleming Drive, Morganton, NC 28655.