Irene Rupp ... avid genealogist

FARMINGTON - Irene Patterson (Marks) Rupp of Farmington died on Dec. 27, 2023. She was born in Richmond, Va., to Edward A. Marks Jr. and Irene Dwight (Patterson) Marks.

She received her elementary and high school education at Richmond's Collegiate School for Girls (now The Collegiate School) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in physics from Randolph-Macon Woman's College (now Randolph College) in Lynchburg Va., following which she studied under a French Government Fellowship at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. After moving to Buffalo, she earned a Master of Arts degree in mathematics from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Mrs. Rupp began employment as an electronics engineer at Bell Aircraft Company in Wheatfield N.Y., where she met her husband, and later worked at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (now Calspan) in Cheektowaga. She retired to raise her children and then returned to work for 16 years for a private investigation service, lastly as a computer specialist.

An avid genealogist, Mrs. Rupp was a life member and former president of Western New York Genealogical Society and a volunteer genealogist in the downtown library's Grosvenor Room. Active for over 50 years in the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Mrs. Rupp was a member and former regent of Abigail Fillmore Chapter in Buffalo, state director of Western New York's District VIII, and member of the New York State Organization's Board of Management. She also held many committee chairmanships at the chapter, state, and national level and for many years was the DAR's representative to the Buffalo VA Hospital.

Other organizations Mrs. Rupp belonged to were Alice Putnam Chapter of the National Society Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century, having previously served as chapter president; Buffalo Astronomical Association, Airedale Terrier Club of America, and the Virginia Genealogical Society.

Her husband, Rowland A. Rupp Jr. predeceased her in 2020. Survivors include children, Irene Patterson "Patty" Rupp Hodge MD (Michael E.) of Lee; R. Anthony Rupp III (Linda M. Leone) of East Aurora, N.Y.; and Edward S. Rupp of Snyder NY; grandchildren, Andrew M. Hodge and Mark P. Hodge of Lee; R. Anthony Rupp IV, Charles H. Rupp, and Ian M. Rupp of East Aurora. Her Airedale Terrier, "Bingley", also survives.