Heiress, Socialite, Born in Newport Rhode Island, to Edward Shippen Willing and his wife, the former Alice Barton. She had two siblings, Susan Ridgway Willing and John Rhea Barton Willing. She was a descendant of Edward Shippen, the second mayor of Philadelphia and a chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. She married John Jacob Astor IV in February 1891 in Philadelphia. The newlywed couple was given, among many lavish gifts, a furnished townhouse on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Though the marriage was tumultuous, the Astors had two children, William Vincent, and Ava Alice Muriel. The latter child reportedly was the child of an affair Ava Astor had with a New York society figure surnamed Hatch.
On November 19, 1909, Ava Astor sued her husband for divorce and March 5, 1910 the State of New York decreed in her favor. Their son lived with his father before leaving to attend Harvard College. Their daughter would be raised by her mother. In the second year of Vincent's education, In 1911, Ava Astor and her daughter moved to England where she would become the second wife of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale. John Jacob became one of the RMS Titanic casualties while returning from his honeymoon with his new bride, Madeleine Talmadge Force. This event left young Vincent as one of the wealthiest men in the United States. in 1919. Lady Ava Ribblesdale, was one of the bridesmaids at Princess Mary's wedding to Viscount Lascelles. Lord Ribblesdale died on October 21, 1925.
Though she reclaimed her American citizenship after returning to the United States and announced to the press that she would be known as Mrs. Ribblesdale, she nonetheless continued to be known by her former title. Lady Ribblesdale died on June 9, 1958 in New York City. She left a token bequest to her son, Vincent, but the bulk of her estate was left to her daughter's four children: Prince Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, Princess Sylvia Obolensky, Romana von Hofmannsthal, and Emily Harding.
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
On November 19, 1909, Ava Astor sued her husband for divorce and March 5, 1910 the State of New York decreed in her favor. Their son lived with his father before leaving to attend Harvard College. Their daughter would be raised by her mother. In the second year of Vincent's education, In 1911, Ava Astor and her daughter moved to England where she would become the second wife of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale. John Jacob became one of the RMS Titanic casualties while returning from his honeymoon with his new bride, Madeleine Talmadge Force. This event left young Vincent as one of the wealthiest men in the United States. in 1919. Lady Ava Ribblesdale, was one of the bridesmaids at Princess Mary's wedding to Viscount Lascelles. Lord Ribblesdale died on October 21, 1925.
Though she reclaimed her American citizenship after returning to the United States and announced to the press that she would be known as Mrs. Ribblesdale, she nonetheless continued to be known by her former title. Lady Ribblesdale died on June 9, 1958 in New York City. She left a token bequest to her son, Vincent, but the bulk of her estate was left to her daughter's four children: Prince Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, Princess Sylvia Obolensky, Romana von Hofmannsthal, and Emily Harding.
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
Heiress, Socialite, Born in Newport Rhode Island, to Edward Shippen Willing and his wife, the former Alice Barton. She had two siblings, Susan Ridgway Willing and John Rhea Barton Willing. She was a descendant of Edward Shippen, the second mayor of Philadelphia and a chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. She married John Jacob Astor IV in February 1891 in Philadelphia. The newlywed couple was given, among many lavish gifts, a furnished townhouse on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Though the marriage was tumultuous, the Astors had two children, William Vincent, and Ava Alice Muriel. The latter child reportedly was the child of an affair Ava Astor had with a New York society figure surnamed Hatch.
On November 19, 1909, Ava Astor sued her husband for divorce and March 5, 1910 the State of New York decreed in her favor. Their son lived with his father before leaving to attend Harvard College. Their daughter would be raised by her mother. In the second year of Vincent's education, In 1911, Ava Astor and her daughter moved to England where she would become the second wife of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale. John Jacob became one of the RMS Titanic casualties while returning from his honeymoon with his new bride, Madeleine Talmadge Force. This event left young Vincent as one of the wealthiest men in the United States. in 1919. Lady Ava Ribblesdale, was one of the bridesmaids at Princess Mary's wedding to Viscount Lascelles. Lord Ribblesdale died on October 21, 1925.
Though she reclaimed her American citizenship after returning to the United States and announced to the press that she would be known as Mrs. Ribblesdale, she nonetheless continued to be known by her former title. Lady Ribblesdale died on June 9, 1958 in New York City. She left a token bequest to her son, Vincent, but the bulk of her estate was left to her daughter's four children: Prince Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, Princess Sylvia Obolensky, Romana von Hofmannsthal, and Emily Harding.
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
On November 19, 1909, Ava Astor sued her husband for divorce and March 5, 1910 the State of New York decreed in her favor. Their son lived with his father before leaving to attend Harvard College. Their daughter would be raised by her mother. In the second year of Vincent's education, In 1911, Ava Astor and her daughter moved to England where she would become the second wife of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale. John Jacob became one of the RMS Titanic casualties while returning from his honeymoon with his new bride, Madeleine Talmadge Force. This event left young Vincent as one of the wealthiest men in the United States. in 1919. Lady Ava Ribblesdale, was one of the bridesmaids at Princess Mary's wedding to Viscount Lascelles. Lord Ribblesdale died on October 21, 1925.
Though she reclaimed her American citizenship after returning to the United States and announced to the press that she would be known as Mrs. Ribblesdale, she nonetheless continued to be known by her former title. Lady Ribblesdale died on June 9, 1958 in New York City. She left a token bequest to her son, Vincent, but the bulk of her estate was left to her daughter's four children: Prince Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, Princess Sylvia Obolensky, Romana von Hofmannsthal, and Emily Harding.
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
Inscription
Peace I Give Unto You
Family Members
See more Ribblesdale or Willing memorials in:
- Locust Valley Cemetery Ribblesdale or Willing
- Locust Valley Ribblesdale or Willing
- Nassau County Ribblesdale or Willing
- New York Ribblesdale or Willing
- USA Ribblesdale or Willing
- Find a Grave Ribblesdale or Willing
