Ruth was a very intelligent woman! She was a dedicated teacher & principle for many, many years for the Catholic school board. She was so very proud that now her beloved nieces Nancy & Elizabeth & nephew John have also become wonderful, dedicated teachers as well. She felt that learning & the gift of education was something that should always be strived for & never taken for granted! 

Her talents knew no bounds. She was so skilled at knitting!! Creating/making enormous amounts of knitted hats for "homeless" people and bringing them to homeless shelters in Toronto to give out to anyone who need a hat! They were beautifully & lovingly made!! What a blessing to all those hundreds of people who have received one from such a kind, generous, thoughtful person!! Ruth put in countless hours making them all!!  My wonderful boyfriend - Jeff Burke (a well known Toronto musician) was so blessed to be the reciptiant of one of her special knitted hats just this past winter. She asked me what his favourite colour was & I told her - green. She promptly made it for him & mailed it to him. He was so thrilled!! We took a picture of him in it, intending on sending the picture to her but sadly we never got around to sending the picture to her. 

Ruth loved playing bridge & was good add it. She was friends with her neighbours & would play bridge with them on Wednesday nights. She enjoyed that so much! She called it her "bridge group".

One of the things she enjoyed most in life though were her 3 best friends. Elizabeth & 2 nuns that were "actually" sisters by family. She also loved it that these 2 lovely, devout nuns were Irish & would travel back & forth to Ireland to visit their family. She would tell me all about their trips.  The thing she loved the most was that "every" Friday she would go to visit Elizabeth for LUNCH & Ruth would be the one to make & bring the tasty, nutritious lunches!!! Elizabeth is in her 90's. It would always thrill Ruth that she would think of good things to make that would get Elizabeth to eat as she was a picky eater & never ate much. But every Friday, Ruth would tell me Elizabeth would in fact eat everything that she brought & really enjoy it so much too!! Ruth loved her visits with Elizabeth & their chats. They loved to share books & talk about reading. Often the nuns would join them for their lunch. Then Friday evening Ruth would call me & tell me all about the visits the four friends had. I feel so bad for Elizabeth! Who will go to visit her now & bring her books?? And the dear Nun sisters they must be so very sad too! My heart goes out to all 3 of her best friends!!

The most important thing to Ruth above all though, was her faith!! She was so devout in her Catholic faith!! She ALWAYS went to mass!! If not walking there then driving. She so enjoyed meeting her family for mass then going out with them afterwards. The children of her nieces brought her such joy, happiness & pride!! They are her beloved sister Sally's grandchildren.  Nathan, Emilia, Livia & Luke! She talked to me often about them, giving me updates of their progress in school & life!! Ruth loved those children so very much! Ruth never had children of her own so her nieces & nephew were just like her kids & their kids like her grandchildren. Her sister Sally & her were as close as two sisters ever could be!! When Sally died almost 1 year ago now ( July 11th, 2016) it broke her heart!! She had never gotten over the grief of loosing her & would tell me she was unhappy, lonely & missed her so very much!! Now they are reunited back together again in Heaven!

My dear, dear, sweet Ruth & I were so close!! We called each other regularly every week or two to have a nice chat. I recently moved into a new apt & she was planning/hoping to come for a visit to see the new apt & me. So heart breakingly now that will never happen.  I am in such a state of shock that she is gone!!! I can not believe I will never talk to her again!! Her birthday is coming up so soon! July 26th - she would have been 86 this year! (Born 1931) Ruth and her sister Sally had close birthdays! Sally's was first - July 8th. Sally would have been 79. She was the younger sister! (Born 1938). I had fully intended to call Ruth on July 8th because I knew that would have been a sad day for her. But now it will be a happy one as they can celebrate together in Heaven! "Happy Birthday!" Dear Cousins.  

God Bless you my loving cousin Ruth!! I just can't bring myself to say "goodbye" to you yet! My tears won't stop flowing! The pain & heart ache of loosing you hurts so so much!! You were ALWAYS so very good to me my whole life!! Loving me, guiding me, helping me, caring about me, laughing with me in good times & crying with me in sad times! May you rest in peace & may your perpetual light shine upon you!! Please give my love to my dear  Mom in Heaven!

You are yet another beautiful angel looking down on me!!!  This I know!!