Ruth Ritson

In the early hours of the morning on May 31, 2012 Mrs. Ruth Ritson passed away at the age of 84. Ruth was born on November 3, 1927 and was raised by Violet and Henry McKinley in Dorion, Ontario. It was there that she met and married her partner for life, George Ritson. They married in September of 1948, settled first in Fort William and then in West Arthur. Together they raised their family of four and went on to make many wonderful memories together. Ruth was employed for many years at the A&P store on Syndicate Avenue. She later transferred to the store on Arthur Street and retired from the A&P store at Thunder Bay Mall. She met and befriended many co-workers and customers over the years. Ruth took pride in her work and as in everything she did, she was a valuable and dedicated employee. Ruth loved to travel and spent many winters with George in Mesa, Arizona. Many of their travels included visits to their grandchildren. Whether it was to watch Joe and Ken play hockey, visit Stacy and Jocy in British Columbia or regular visits to Marathon to spend time with Nick and Jessie, she and George always seemed to be planning a trip somewhere. Ruth has always been actively involved in her community. She made time to keep in touch with her neighbours and old friends throughout West Arthur. Many of those friends and neighbours have been especially precious to her in recent months with their ongoing support. Ruth made an annual trip to Dorian for the Easter tea each year. She loved to keep in touch with the community where she was raised and would often tell her grandchildren about her life growing up on the farm with her family. Ruth took pride in her history, her family and the community that she came from. Ruth has always been a great sports fan. She loved watching her grandchildren play hockey and baseball and was a faithful Blue Jay fans for many years. Ruth and George were always season ticket holders for local baseball and hockey teams and proudly supported the AAA Kings, Flyers, Thunder Wolves, Marathon Merc's and Whiskey Jacks over the years. In recent years, Ruth was actively involved in carpet bowling at West Arthur Community Centre and in Discing at West Thunder. She enjoyed the time and new friendships she made participating in these activities. Ruth's greatest joy was always her family. She could put together a family dinner in a matter of minutes and always made it look effortless. Sunday breakfast became a tradition in her home and she was always prepared for company. Whether it was a Friday night BBQ or a holiday occasion she was always able to make family, neighbours and friends feel welcome in her home. Ruth loved her children unconditionally and was very proud of each of their accomplishments. She took time to develop special relationships with all of her grandchildren. Whether it was watching old western movies on Saturday mornings, teaching them how to knit or just being there when they decided to visit from next door she always seemed to be able to make each of them feel special. Over the past year year, she was most grateful to have had the opportunity to meet her newest great grandson, Luke. As with all of her grand children and great grandchildren, their smiling faces and youthful disposition gave her great comfort and joy. In August of 2011, Ruth lost her partner and best friend, George. As always, when faced with challenges in life, she continued on with strength and grace. She was determined to continue all of the family traditions that she and George started together. Ruth was a very strong person and she carried on despite her great sense of loss. Over the past year, Ruth was able to spend time a great deal of time with her children and their partners. That time was spent reliving old memories and making new ones. It was a time that she as well as her children will cherish. Ruth shared a special relationship with her sister Doreen and her nieces, Shelby, Maxine and Marion. She loved them all dearly and was very grateful for their ongoing support and friendship throughout the past year. Ruth is survived by her children Reg (Lois Ann and Karli), Derek (Deb Porter) and Laura (Denis Page); grandchildren Stacy Williams (Cameron), Jocelyn Mason (Kent), Joe Ritson (Leanne), Ken Ritson, Nick and Jessie Page; great grandchildren Katherine and Isabel Mason, Sydney, Jake and Luke Ritson. Ruth was predeceased by her husband George Ritson; daughter Lynn Murphy; daughter-in-law Gina Ritson; son-in-law Ken Williams; parents Henry and Violet McKinley; brother Percy Mckinley and sister Helen Sims. A service of remembrance to celebrate Ruth's life will take place at 10:30a.m. on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 in the Westfort Chapel, 420 West Gore Street at James. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation to the charity of your choice. Please sign the online condolences at everestofthunderbay.com "