Obituary: Elizabeth Ival Stratford

Elizabeth Ival Stratford, of Bethel, died Thursday, March 1, in Maplewood of Newtown. She is the widow of Francis Arthur Stratford.

Ival was born August 6, 1911, in North Queensferry on the Firth of Forth, Scotland a daughter of the late John Stiel and Margaret Ival (Goldie) McCusker.

She commuted daily for 35 years to the Mary McLeod Bethune School in Harlem, NY, a school administrator and music teacher. In 1986, Ival received a Masters Degree in English from Western Connecticut State University at 75 years old, and taught English as an instructor for the college. In her retirement, she and her close friend studied Shakespeare at Oxford University in England and while there, visited her Scottish village.

She was also a Lieutenant Colonel in the 399th squadron of the Civil Air Patrol based at Danbury Airport.

Ival sat second violin for the Danbury Symphony for 35 years. She was a member of the choir at St Mary’s Church, Bethel and volunteered for the Red Cross annually. She has been a resident of Bethel since 1952.

She is survived by her son Col. Francis Stratford, MD, and his wife, Carol, of Dover, DE, and her daughter Margaret Ival Stratford-Kovner and her husband Ronald Kovner of Bethel, three grandchildren, Rachel, Matthew and David and 2 great grandchildren, Ryan and Ashley.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in , Bethel, on Monday, March 5, 2012, at 10 am. Burial will be in St Mary’s Cemetery, Bethel.

Family will receive friends in the , 215 Greenwood Ave, Bethel, on Sunday, March 4, from 3 until 5 pm.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Danbury Symphony Orchestra 256 Main Street Danbury, CT 06810