Dr. Ruth ALISON

ALISON, Dr. Ruth WOMAN OF FAITH AND SCIENCE Ruth Elizabeth Alison MD, or Aunt Ruth, as she was fondly known by family and friends alike, lived in service to her church, her patients and her volunteer commitments; a loving and generous friend to so many. Ruth was born in Toronto, August 13, 1926 to parents Albert and Mary (Armstrong) Alison and brother, Gordon Alison (Alice Ayer). She attended Branksome Hall in her high school years. In 1952, Dr. Alison graduated in medicine from the University of Toronto, where she later taught. She worked in Bella Bella (Waglisla), BC, with Dr. Darby, before practicing oncology at Princess Margaret Hospital for 30 years. A strong believer in treating body, mind and spirit, she connected with her patients first as a human being and secondly as a doctor. Dr. Alison became the first female president of the Canadian Cancer Society, during the Terry Fox years. Among her many volunteer activities, she was an elder at two Presbyterian churches: Glenview (Toronto) and Union (Terra Cotta) and for almost three decades, led the CGIT group at Glenview. In retirement, Dr. Alison became a chaplain, serving at Peel Memorial Hospital. She died in Toronto on Saturday, May 26, 2018, aged 91 and is survived by her nieces, Adrienne Alison (Alicia and Callum Owen) and Karen Alison and close cousin Alison Germain. The family would like to thank Violeta for her loving care of our aunt for the past nine years, along with Beatrice, Patti and Sally and the staff at Kensington Gardens. Memorial service: Glenview Presbyterian Church, 1 Glenview Ave., Toronto, ON M4R 1P5 on Saturday, June 9th at 11 a.m.