Ida, My Grandmother

Ida

My Grandmother

June 25, 1901- March 24, 1986

She was born in Leeds, England, the daughter of James and Florence Riley, two immigrants from Ireland who fled their country when life became too bleak.  She had a sister who lived to be 88 and a brother who died sometime in his teens. She migrated to the USA with her family sometime in her teens.  She never talked about her early years so facts are sketchy.

She landed in Rhode Island and met my grandfather, Jack Revie, a civil engineer.  They married on December 25, 1925. My mother was born in April 1927. Five years later, my uncle was born.

They lived in Rhode Island, Washington, DC, the Azores, and West Creek (NJ) and spent their later years in Philadelphia, with my family. They never lived more than 2 miles from us.  When we lived in North Philadelhia, they lived in Cheltenham.  When we moved to West Philadelhia, they moved to Wynnewood.

She was happy, gracious, kind, beautiful, gentle and interested in everything. She traveled the world and maintained a humbleness that was admirable. She read everything she could get her hands on. If she thought a book was too racy for us to see, she covered it with a brown bag so we couldn’t see what smut she might be reading.  She constantly knit sweaters for all of us.  She hosted bridge parties at our house because her apartment was too small. If the car was leaving the curb, Ida wanted to go along even if it was just to the hardware store. She never wanted to be left behind.

She had a beautiful smile, snowy white hair and an infectious attitude of goodwill. She was full of life.

 I want to be like my grandmother.