Ruth O'Sullivan

Raleigh
Ruth Jones O'Sullivan was reunited in heaven with her beloved husband Richard on July 27th, 2023. She was born in Oakland, CA on February 4, 1931, the first child of J Russell and Ruth Jones, and spent the first 10 years of her life in India as her father was an executive for Standard Oil. She regaled her family with memories of that time, asserting she saw Ghandi playing tennis at the local club and counting to 10 in Hindi for any unsuspecting Indian restaurant waiter! In 1941, she and her brother Dick were evacuated out of India on the last ship before the harbor closed due to World War II. They made their way to Springfield IL to live with relatives until her parents could join them, then moved to the San Francisco area. There, both children attended boarding school while their parents returned to India, and ultimately Ruth graduated from St Rose Academy in 1948. She took a "gap year" (before they were a thing!), and had a trip around the world, courtesy of Standard Oil. Those early cruises set a foundation for a lifetime of travel.
Ruth was a proud Berkeley Bear, graduating from the University of California in 1953 with a degree in political science. After graduation, while working in the Bay Area, she met Rich O'Sullivan, a senior at St Mary's College and the center for the basketball team. They married on December 19, 1954 at St Brendan's Catholic Church in San Francisco, while Rich was on leave from Naval Officer Training School. After his completion of school, the newlyweds were assigned to Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, HI. Soon their first child, Kevin, arrived, followed by Kathleen, Tim and Carolyn over the next 10 years. Ruth was the epitome of a Navy wife-organized, resilient, and dedicated to her family. They lived in Hawaii, Virginia, California, Hawaii again, California again, Belgium, South Carolina, England, and Washington DC twice. While you can still see claw marks in the road from her being dragged up to DC, it soon became her prized home for over 30 years. She was the consummate bargain hunter-she couldn't pass up a garage sale, flea market or thrift shop, and could do sale math at lightning speed. She was a stickler for table manners--"Break that roll, don't cut it!"--as well as thank you notes, a firm handshake, date nut bread at every holiday, good posture and proper English ("me and her" would get a withering look and smelling salts...)
Living in Europe, both Belgium and London, gave Ruth and her family unlimited chances to travel, using Europe on $5 a Day as a guide (and usually coming in under budget)! She put her early experiences to use, capitalizing on long weekends and holidays to enrich her family's life in languages, cultures, and history. The blue 1970 Volkswagen bus carried them across Europe on many adventures, shopping expeditions, and tours of medieval buildings. Everyone could ask "How much does it cost?" and "Where is the bathroom?" in six languages.
Ruth also lived her catholic faith every day. She was always a champion of the underdog, ready to adopt a family (or five) for Christmas gifts or work every Saturday for 20 years at the Treasure Trove Thrift shop, benefiting the local hospital. She was a faithful parishioner at Holy Spirit, St Leo the Great, and Mount Tabor Catholic communities. Her "corporal works of mercy"--the sheer volume of them-have guaranteed her a seat in heaven!
In 2007, Ruth and Rich relocated to the Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community in Raleigh, NC, due to Rich's declining health. The caring staff there shepherded Rich to his passing in 2009, and Ruth spent a total of 16 years through the spectrum of care, until she took her final breath on the evening of Thursday, July 27. We will be forever grateful to the Springmoor staff for their compassionate care and concern over the years as her needs changed.
Probably her favorite role was that of doting grandmother and great grandmother. Her six grandchildren (Patrick, Colleen, Kaitlyn, Bobby, Ellie and Hannah) and two greats (Bernadette and Finley Rose) remember her sly, sassy wit; "Camp Grandma"; mac and cheese and ice cream sundaes; and marathon visits to Goodwill and the Dollar Store for assorted treasures. When the grands were asked, they said:
"Always right by the phone and available for regular evening commute phone calls; it was so easy to get her on the phone but difficult getting her off!"
"Grandma's chuckle will always be with me...hearing Grandma's chuckle always brought me joy. It was special. She was special."
"I will always admire Granny's strength and ability to hold her own in any room. Thank you Granny for this gift of humor, audacity and boldness."
"My favorite errand to run with Grandma was Goodwill-she would take her time sifting through the bins until she found treasures to bring back to someone."
"Grandma...unintentionally used reverse psychology to make me keep reading. She bought me the newest Harry Potter book and then limited me to only 50 pages a night in a vain attempt to keep me from finishing the book before my visit was over."
She was obviously crafty, witty, and absolutely adored! Her care and love further extended to pets of all kinds, from her sweet dogs Mike, Tilly and Maggie to the multitude of granddogs and grandcats (with an occasional grandfish) that accumulated over the years.
Our mother was an extraordinary person-a tough exterior that masked an inside soft as a marshmallow. She never stopped being a mother, giving gentle (and not-so-gentle) guidance for us to become better citizens, parents and people. We owe our success to her belief in our abilities and her non-yielding expectation of our best. Mom, we love and miss you!
Ruth will join Rich at Arlington National Cemetery in the future. She requested not to have any formal service, but she would be touched if any donations be directed to Guide Dogs for the Blind (https://www.guidedogs.com) or the Maryknoll Missionaries (https://maryknollsociety.org)