Joy Ruttan

Retired teacher, community volunteer and jam maker, Joy Ruttan passed away at the Hull Hospital following a brief illness. She was predeceased by her parents, Edmund and Margaret Ruttan (nee Peever), as well as grandson Joshua Clute. Dearly missed by her children Catherine Clute (Michael O'Connor), Cindy (D'Arcy) McCartin, Christopher (Roxanne) Clute; her grandchildren Daniel O'Connor, Oliver Clute; siblings, Wallace (Helen) Ruttan, William (Helen) Ruttan, Mae Vaivods, Jean Ruttan-Yates, Joan (Andrew) Marshall, Merle (David) Smart; nieces and nephews, and special friends.

An inveterate writer of letters to family, friends, politicians, and newspapers, Mum left us the following:

Born Good Friday, April 10, 1936 on my grandparents’ farm in Temiskaming District Ontraio, second child of Edmund Ruttan (1909-1971) and Margaret Ruttan (1913-2010), a little sister for Wallace and over the years I became a big sister to William, Mae, Jean, Joan and Merle.

I went to school in Cane Township, Matachewan, New Liskeard and then North Bay Teachers’ College in 1955. All I ever wanted to do was teach. For the rest of my life wherever I was living, either alone or raising my family, I was teaching either full-time, part-time, occasional or supply and also teaching Sunday School, in Alliston, Elk Lake, Dundalk, North Bay, Toronto, Fergus, Matachewan, Saint-Pamphile and Aylmer.

I arrived in Aylmer in 1975, the International Women’s Year, and I became involved in the Women’s Centre where I organized a drop-in day care centre, an enterprise that was successful for many years. Now other play groups fulfill the same purpose. In 1976 the Montessori school was started and I was a pre-school teacher for 24 years until I retired in 2001. Montessori was like coming home.

A descendant of a Huguenot family from Metz, France, I am an enthusiastic member of the United Church. I like many things: my family, friends, reading, cooking, the Globe & Mail, the Boston Red Sox, sunsets, daydreaming, pizza, and because of Daniel’s influence, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and life.

I didn’t always (often) get what I wanted but then I also didn’t get a lot of what I didn’t want, so it all evened out. It’s been good overall, and I will be remembered and missed at times by many.

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child”. Forest E. Witcraft

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the United Church of Canada Mission and Service Fund at Joy's request. https://united-church.ca/donate

Visitation with urn, will take place at the Dignity funeral home located at 47 Denise-Friend in Aylmer on Friday April 29th, from 2-4 pm and again in the evening from 7-9 pm. Masks must be worn at all times inside the funeral home.

There will be a religious service at Aylmer United Church, Saturday, April 30th, 4pm. Due to COVID restrictions, it will be by invitation only.

The Funeral Home will WEBCAST the funeral ceremony on Saturday, April 30, 2022 starting at 4pm. You can View the Ceremony Live or on Replay at; https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/51231