Ruth Virginia Cain

Ruth Virginia Cain, 96, passed away Monday, December 26, 2022, at North Woods Village in Fort Wayne, IN. She was born September 19, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois, to Richard and Marie (Breyer) Seaman. She graduated from Longwood Academy and worked as a bank teller until she married in 1953 and became a full-time homemaker. Ruth’s life centered on deep devotion to family, faith, and friends. Those who knew her frequently commented on her kind and thoughtful nature. Ruth grew up with a large extended family of immigrants on Chicago’s South Side. All four grandparents emigrated from regions in and around Germany after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, settling around the newly built stockyard neighborhoods. Church, family, and neighborhood played a central role in the lives of these newcomers. Ruth’s youth was rich with activities that brought these elements together. The coffee pot was always on in her parents’ home in the Washington Heights neighborhood, awaiting impromptu visitors. Parties in bungalow basements, church dances at St. Kilian’s Catholic Church, and celebrations of birthdays, weddings, holidays, as well as funerals, frequently brought folks together for love and, oftentimes, laughter. She was a loyal friend and family member to so many, including high school pals with whom she stayed in touch throughout their long lives. She also had many nieces and nephews, and their children, who loved her dearly and whom she loved.

Ruth met Lester Cain at a St. Kilian’s church dance. After marrying in 1953, they built a home in Burbank, IL, just west of the city, and raised their three children, all college graduates. They moved to Boca Raton, FL, in 1983 when Lester’s job with Siemens Corp. shifted location. After he retired, the couple made frequent trips north to visit. After Lester’s passing in 2001, Ruth moved to Fort Wayne to be closer to her children. She joined St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in 2002 and was active in the choir, prayer circle, and other activities. Even in her last years and months, she made a point to attend Sunday Mass via television or the chapel in North Woods Village.

She is survived by her three children, Linda (Bruce Dopke) Cain of Schaumburg, IL, Thomas Cain of Fort Wayne, IN, and Mary Ann (George Kalamaras) Cain of Fort Wayne, IN. She is also survived by her grandson, Christopher (Cheryl) Dopke and their son, Wyatt, of Phoenix, AZ. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Lester Ray Cain, her sister, Dorothy (Hillary) Gillespie and her brother, Richard (Patricia) Seaman

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, January 6, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in 10700 Aboite Center Road Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804, visitation will begin at 10 am. The service will also be livestreamed at St. Elizabeth’s website: https://seasfw.org/livestream. Scroll down and click on “Streamspot.” Livestreaming will begin 15 minutes beforehand.

Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, 87 Street Evergreen Park, IL 60805, on Saturday, January 14 at 1:00 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Community Harvest Food Bank, Fort Wayne.