Ruth Vanderlaag Bledsoe

Ruth Vanderlaag Bledsoe (née Shavney), age 88, of Newtown Square, PA, passed away on February 24, 2024.

 Born in Sharon Hill, PA, she was the daughter of the late Peter and Ruth (née Purvis) Shavney.

 Ruth was the beloved wife of Rodger Bledsoe; the loving mother of Jud Vanderlaag (Katie), Sydney Heiss (Brian), Lisa Vanderlaag (Sanjeev), Guy Vanderlaag (Debbie) and Jennie Vanderlaag (Dave).  She was the caring grandmother of Emily, Anna, Teddy, Jake, Luke, Naina, Raycer, and Tatum, and dear great-grandmother of Theo.  Ruth is survived by her siblings, Richard Shavney (the late Dolores) and Arlene Cole (the late George), and predeceased by her brothers, Peter Shavney, Donald Shavney, and Tommy Shavney.

 Ruth graduated from Notre Dame De Namur High School in Moylan in 1953 and joined TWA in Chicago as an Airline Attendant soon after graduation.  

During her time in Chicago, Ruth began modeling for the Patricia Stevens Talent Agency and was featured in several national TV commercials and many print ads. She continued this career on and off throughout her life modeling for Expressions, Greer Lange and Wilhelmina. 

 In Chicago, Ruth met her husband Bill on a blind date. They married in 1959 and relocated to Broomall and later Devon, PA where they raised their 5 children.  Bill passed away in 1994 and Ruth later married Rodger Bledsoe, a pilot for Pan American and United Airlines, in 2001.   

Ruth had a life-long love of the camera not only as a talented model but also as an amateur photographer, an interest that developed later in her life.  Several of her photos of Ridley Creek State Park were featured in their annual calendar.   Her most precious photographs, however, were of her grandchildren who all remember countless wonderful hours posing for Gigi’s camera. 

Ruth also loved gardening, history, architecture and bird watching.  She was a kind and generous spirit who will be missed tremendously by her family who adored her. 

Relatives and friends are invited to her Visitation, Thursday, March 7, 2024, 9:30 to 10:30 AM at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2400 N. Providence Road, Media, PA  19063, followed by her Funeral Mass, 10:30.  Interment to be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ruth’s memory would be appreciated to Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOS), https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/ and or to Tyler Arboretum, https://tylerarboretum.org/donate/.