Mrs. Ruth Whitelaw

5th August 1933 – 11th June 2014

Ruth passed away peacefully and comfortably in the North Shore Hospice on Wednesday June 11th. She will be greatly missed by husband Ian, daughter Alison (Todd), son Chris (Caroline) and grandchildren Morgan, Lauren, Connor and Cameron and many relatives and friends in Canada and Britain. Ruth was the youngest daughter of Charles and Mollie Maynard and is survived by her sister Jean in London, Ontario (Ed) and Freda in Cheshire, England.

Ruth attended Cheadle Hulme Warehousemen and Clerks School until age 18 when she went to Crewe Teacher College training to be an infant teacher, her favourite age group. Ruth married Ian in 1956 and in 1957 they accepted teaching positions in a three room school in Southern Saskatchewan, a great change and challenge from teaching in Cheshire. In 1958 Ruth and Ian moved to Edmonton with Ruth teaching until 1963 when Alison was born. In 1967 the family moved to North Vancouver where Chris was born and then to West Vancouver in 1972.

After her family Ruth’s greatest loves were her friends and life at St. Christopher’s Church. Ruth had a lovely soft soprano voice and sang in the Church Choir and the Keynotes Choir in West Vancouver. Ruth was an active member of North Vancouver Community Players with performances as Charlie’s Aunt, a role in Separate Tables and in a number of cabarets. She was also a talented artist and her copper enamel plates enhance many homes in Britain, New Zealand and North America.

A Celebration of Ruth’s life will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, June 27th at St. Christopher’s Church, 11th and Inglewood in West Vancouver, followed by a reception in the Church Hall.

We would like to thank Dr. Genevieve Lauzon and the West Vancouver Palliative Care Team for the compassionate care they gave to Ruth during her illness.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to the Lions Gate Foundation (Hospice) or a charity of your choice.

Hollyburn Funeral Home 604-922-1221

www.hollyburnfunerals.com