Ruth
Town
TOWN, Shirley Ruth (Budd) - Passed away peacefully at Woodstock General Hospital on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 in her 92nd year. Beloved wife of the late Monte Town for 54 years. Loving mother of Ted Town and partner Raquel López, Jill Town and partner Noreen Stevens, Peggy Town and partner Leah Buck, and Jennifer Town and partner Ernest Agbuya. Proud and adoring grandmother of Savannah and Dillon Stevens and Maya and Alejandro López-Town. Sister-in-law to her dear Reta Budd. Little sister to the late Bill Budd, Elizabeth Mayberry, and Geordie Budd. Auntie to a whole raft of cherished nieces and nephews. Loyal friend to countless others.
Ruth always said she had such a wonderful life and that no-one could have had a better family than she did. As the youngest child of Glad and Pete Budd, her memories of the farm were happy ones, with plenty of love from her many aunts, uncles and cousins. She naturally grew into the adult who treasured all the children in her life. Her definition of family expanded to include friends and neighbours. All those relationships affirmed the value of being kind and caring for others.
It was on the Budd farm where she first tuned all of her senses to the beauty of nature. She brought that love with her to the Town farm, planting trees, flowers and vegetable gardens, feeding the chickadees and other feathered friends, welcoming kittens and piglets into the house to be nursed back to health, celebrating each season, and inspiring her kids to do the same.
From a young age, Ruth was always up for a road trip; around the county roads and into town, way out west with her parents and her cousin, east to Expo 67 with a car full of kids and her sister Betty (just one of their many fun-filled excursions together), down to Bicentennial Pennsylvania, and up the coast of Michigan in her Mustang convertible.
Water often featured in her adventures: swimming at Willow Lake, hitch-hiking to Port Burwell with teenaged friends, taking an ocean liner to Europe, countless fishing trips with Monte, spraying her kids with a hose through the kitchen window, family vacations at Long Point and Sauble Beach, summer pool parties at the Town farm, trips to Florida with Monte where he eventually built them another home, and the beautiful trip the two of them took to Newfoundland in their golden years together.
Throughout her life, Ruth was enthusiastically involved in several community service groups, including Junior Farmers, Young Peoples, Old St. Paul's Church, Ingersoll Curling Club, Foster Child Care, and Meals on Wheels. Less formally, she had an excellent attendance record at Budd Cousins lunches, Brown-Town Picnics, May 24 gatherings in Sweaburg, Four Women in Flux and Woodstock Farmers' Market every Saturday morning. Ruth enjoyed her long reign as director at Camp Ptarmigan. In her last years, the visits by phone with friends and family meant so much to her.
We know that Ruth also needed her time to be alone. She was a deep thinker, curious about current events and other people's perspectives. She listened to CBC Radio every day. She always loved to read books and was recently so pleased to renew her library card. From her collection of cookbooks, Ruth had an appetite for trying new recipes, and every summer she made her traditional Grandma Jam. She knitted, sewed, painted, wallpapered and decorated her home. She had a great appreciation for music, especially the piano, and she sang in the choir and in the car – whenever the spirit moved her. Often Ruth was content to just sit still and watch the world outside her window.
Many of us would agree that Ruth had the uncanny ability to make us smile and laugh every time we were with her. Ever humble, she never wanted a fuss, so please know the long obituary comes from her kids, who wanted each and every one of you to see your Ruth here.
Ruth's children would like to send whole-hearted thanks to the wonderful nurses and staff in the Palliative Unit at Woodstock Hospital who cared for her as if she were their own.
In accordance with her wishes, cremation has taken place, and a memorial service will be held at Old St. Paul's Anglican Church in Woodstock at 12 noon on Saturday, November 13, 2021. The service will be livestreamed and will be able to be viewed on Youtube. Please call the church for any technical questions (519-537-3912)
With regard to donations in Ruth's name, at her request, "Just do a kind deed".
Arrangements have been entrusted to the SMITH-LeROY FUNERAL HOME, 69 Wellington St. North, Woodstock, On (519-537-3611). Personal condolences may be sent at www.smithleroy.com