Bethany Joan Ricker
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Bethany Joan (Beth) Ricker, age 64 of Lawrenceville, Georgia passed away peacefully on Friday, September 6, 2019 following a long illness, with family by her side. She was the beloved wife for 36 years of William C. (Chris) Ricker; loving mother of Tiffany Pedraza of Winder, Georgia; Claudia Ricker; Christopher Ricker of Tucker, Georgia; and Madeline East of Lilburn, Georgia; and the proud grandma of Arturo, Maria de Lourdes, and Avelina Pedraza, Felix East, and Norman and Matthew Saraccini. Beth is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Sharan Curley of New Jersey, and family in Massachusetts and across the country.
Beth was born in Providence, Rhode Island on September 28, 1954, and raised in Westwood, Massachusetts. A 1972 graduate of Westwood High School, she attended Boston University, working her way through and leaving to raise a family. Beth was preceded in death by her parents, Norman and Joan (Brennan) Curley.
Beth was a hard worker whose career included tax preparation, office management, book keeping, and finance. In the early 2000's, she opened an antiques booth, which grew into an antiques store that she ran for 10 years with her business partner. In the words of her children, Beth was a one-of-a-kind woman, the most caring and loving person who always encouraged her family to do their best despite challenges. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and will be sadly missed. She will be forever in our hearts.
Beth was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) in 1989 and pulmonary artery hypertension, a complication of lupus, in 2005. She lived a full life in spite of it, though less so in her last years as the disease progressed.
Family and friends are invited to a memorial service and visitation at 2:00 PM on Saturday, September 28, 2019 in the Snellville Chapel of Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 2246 Wisteria Drive, Snellville, Georgia. A gathering will follow to celebrate Beth's life. Condolences can also be made online at http://www.stewartfh.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Beth's memory to the Lupus Foundation of America, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20037, or to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 801 Roeder Road, Ste. 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Beth's family is grateful to her doctors, Theresa Lawrence-Ford, MD (Rheumatologist) and Lawrence Kaplan, MD (Pulmonologist), and the staff at Gwinnett Medical Center who cared for her. And to Donna G, without whose help Beth's life would have been so much shorter.