Ruth Stafford Peale was the widow of
the noted minister Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. Born in
Fonda, Iowa, she had three children: Margaret Peale Everett
of Sherman, Connecticut, Dr. John Stafford Peale of Palmyra,
Virginia, and Elizabeth Peale Allen of Pawling, New York. Mrs.
Peale graduated from Syracuse University and taught mathematics
at Syracuse Central High School before her marriage in 1930.
Because of her dynamic spiritual achievements,
Ruth Stafford Peale was considered a great influence to millions,
making many contributions to religion in America.
Mrs.
Peale was Chairman Emeritus of Guideposts, the pre-eminent
media company, providing positive inspiration to the lives
of millions of people through its leading magazines, book publications,
web sites and outreach programs. The
best known is Guideposts,
with a paid circulation of 2.5 million, making it among the top
25 largest magazines in the United States. Instrumental
in the launch of Guideposts in 1945, she also arranged for publication
of her husband’s sermons in an innovative program that
grew into the Peale Center, located in Pawling, NY. Under
Mrs. Peale’s guidance, the two organizations blended their
strengths in 1995 to form the current Guideposts organization. The
outreach division of Guideposts, located at the Peale Center,
transforms lives in lasting ways through a number of activities. The
Ruth Stafford Peale Prayer Power Network, the worldwide prayer
fellowship named in her honor, receives approximately 500,000
prayers a year and recently launched, OurPrayer.org, a new global
online prayer community. The Knit for Kids program, distributes
nearly 500,000 handmade sweaters worldwide to children in need. In
addition, Guideposts distributes hundreds of thousands of free
magazines and booklets each year to hospitals, nursing homes,
military organizations and relief agencies.
Ruth
Peale was a member of the Board of Directors of: American
Bible Society, Interchurch Center, Institutes of Religion and
Health, and National Bible Association. Mrs. Peale wrote
numerous articles appearing in Reader’s Digest, Women’s
Day, and Saturday Evening Post. She is the
author of Secrets of Staying in Love published by Thomas
Nelson, as well as her autobiography, A Lifetime of Positive
Thinking published by Guideposts. She addressed numerous
church, business and women’s groups across the country,
and appeared on national television broadcasts. Mrs. Peale
was depicted in 1964 Hollywood production of Dr. Peale’s
life entitled, “One Man’s Way.”
Among other distinctions, Mrs. Peale
was the first woman president of the National Board of North
American Missions of the Reformed Church in America and the
first woman chairman of the Planning and Program Committee
of the National Council of Churches 1966 Assembly. She
served for 10 years as national president of the Women’s
Board of Domestic Missions of the Reformed Church in America;
served as vice-president of the Council of Churches of the
City of New York and of the National Council of Churches; a
trustee of Hope College, Holland, Michigan; Champlain College,
Burlington, Vermont; and Syracuse University in New York. Mrs.
Peale was also a member of the National Women’s
Board of Northwood Institute.
Mrs. Peale lived for almost sixty years
on Quaker Hill, Pawling, New York, and is survived by her two daughters,
Margaret and Elizabeth, her son John, eight grandchildren and fourteen
great-grandchildren.
