Evelyn H. Firth, on Saturday morning, May 27, 2017, age 93, of Mars, PA, at the St. John Retirement Community.  Born in New York City, she was married in 1945 in the Union Theological Seminary chapel to the Rev. Richard W. Firth.  The family started out in upstate New York and then settled in San Antonio, Texas.  They then moved first to Sewickley Heights and then to Westtown outside Philadelphia in the 1970s.  Retirement drew them to Southern Pines, NC.  Her husband preceded her in death in 2005.

Evelyn developed a lifelong passion for antiques, especially early American pieces, and restored their 1785 Westtown home.  She became an accomplished antiques dealer, showing in some of the most prestigious antique shows on the East Coast.  She also loved animals, with a succession of German Shepherds, a brown standard poodle and Himalayan cats joining the family.  In her youth, she was a skilled horsewoman.  In retirement, she and her husband frequently traveled to Europe (with her eye always on antiquing opportunities).

She enjoyed telling tales of her first jobs in New York City, including a stint as a clerk at a residential hotel across from the Metropolitan Museum.  A certain Joe DiMaggio was a regular visitor, and Evelyn frequently babysat his son.

Evelyn is survived by her son, Richard, Jr., and his wife, Leslie, of Danville, CA; another son, Robert, of Pittsburgh; a grandchild, Lindsay, and a great-grandchild, Hendrix Compton.

A memorial service is being planned for the second week of July when the family will be gathering in Pittsburgh.  Memorials may be made to Lutheran SeniorLife Foundation, 105 Burgess Drive, Zelienople, PA 16063. Arrangements are under the direction of the McDonald-Aeberli Funeral Home, Inc., 238 Crowe Ave. Mars, PA and condolences are available at www.mcdonald-aeberli.com.

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