Mother Ruth Salome Roach

Mother Ruth Salome Roach, 90, Harrisburg, entered eternal life on April 20, 2017, while on a Southern Caribbean Cruise. She was preceded in death by her parents, the late Elder Edward Alpheus Walden and Mother Rebecca Elonia Brown-Walden; her beloved husband of 68 years, John Burchelle Roach; 1 son, Andre Burchelle Roach; 3 sisters, Thelma Corinthia Walden-Smith, Clarice Brown Walden-Scott and Gloria Hilda Rebecca Walden-Hammonds. A graduate of Swatara Township High School, Class of 1944, she then attended Lincoln Preparatory School, Philadelphia, and Elizabethtown College, Class of 1950, where she majored in early childhood education and excelled in religious studies. Her career path included Mary Sachs and Schleisner’s Department Stores and the Pennsylvania Farm Show Defense Operations Center during WWII. Her civil service career began in 1959 at the former Middletown Olmsted Air Force Base; Indiantown Gap Military Reservation; Tech Librarian at the former Newark Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center, Heath, OH; Mechanicsburg Navy Depot; a Procurement Specialist at the New Cumberland Army Depot where she received numerous awards and citations for performance and cost-savings initiatives and retired in 1986 after 27 years of service. She was also a state-licensed beautician having graduated at the top of her class from the former Ebony Beauty School, Harrisburg. An accomplished and anointed pianist and organist, Mother Roach shared her talent with many churches in the Harrisburg area as well as in Heath, OH, to include The Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Monumental A.M.E. Church, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Harris A.M.E. Zion Church, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Trinity Church of God and Shiloh C.O.G.I.C., etc., serving faithfully for 77 years in churches as well as in the community. She truly loved praising and serving the Lord. Mother Roach leaves to share her legacy of love, dedication and commitment 3 children, Erle Stanley Roach (Pearl) of Bronx, NY, Thelma Rebecca Roach-Serry (Henry) of Richmond, VA, and Dana Kevin Roach of Harrisburg; 5 grandchildren, Aprile Candace Serry-Brown (Greg), Armand Patrice Serry (Chantel), Irving Rose, Kyle Sterling Roach and Adrian Alexander Serry; 1 great-grandchild, Armand Patrice Serry Jr.; 1 brother, James Edward Walden (Mary) of Hampton, VA; in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Mother Roach’s life will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 3rd, at Shiloh C.O.G.I.C., 5950 Derry Street, Harrisburg, with viewing 9:30-10:30 a.m. Interment will be at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. Contributions may be made in memory of Mother Ruth S. Roach to the American Heart Association, 1019 Mumma Rd., Ste 100, Wormleysburg, PA 17043.

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Mother Ruth Salome Roach

November 4, 1926 - April 20, 2017