A mother, grandmother, great grandmother, homemaker and community volunteer, she died Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 after a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer’s. A native of Breaux Bridge and a 1953 graduate of Cecilia High School, she was 87. Her visitation will be held at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 2025 Stuart Ave., Baton Rouge on Monday, Nov. 15 from 9-11 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m. Interment with the family will be on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Pompeii Tickfaw Cemetery alongside her husband, Jerome Salomone. Pallbearers will be her six grandsons. Ruscilla and Jerry were married on Dec. 3, 1955 after meeting at a YWCA dance in New Orleans, a Cajun country girl from Breaux Bridge and a Italian city boy who grew up in Algiers. They lived in numerous places because of Jerry’s career as a sociologist and college administrator: Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Thibodaux, Covington and Columbus, Ohio, before settling in Hammond. After Jerry’s retirement they enjoyed many years of traveling together. Their trips were more about the journey than the destination, and for Ruscilla’s part, she had a real appreciation for the world and getting to know it. Ruscilla moved to Baton Rouge in 2011 where she remained the rest of her life. A devoted fan of arts and crafts, her hobbies included quilting, painting and needlepoint. She loved gardening, was an accomplished seamstress, and her fig cookies at the holidays are greatly missed by her family and friends. She also enjoyed volunteer work, helping with Fanfare at SLU, serving as part of the volunteer auxiliary at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond, and volunteering at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Hammond and at St. Vincent de Paul. One of 12 children, she is survived by her baby sister Dorothy Courville of Breaux Bridge and older sister Ramona Castex of Metairie, and her brother Fred Guidry of St. Rose. She was preceded in death by four brothers and four sisters, as well as her parents, Caliste and Marie Dupuis Guidry, her granddaughter April Whittington and her grandson Adrien Maxey-Salomone. She is also survived by her son Bryan Salomone and his fiancée Judy Morgan of Austin, Texas; daughter Pamela Salomone Martin and her husband Bradford Martin of Boynton Beach, Florida; son Gregory Salomone and his wife Cheryl of Prairieville; and daughter Michell Rabalais and her husband Scott of Baton Rouge. In addition, she is survived by nine grandchildren: Rene’ Maxey-Salomone of Austin, Texas; Robert Whittington of Lake Worth, Florida; Christopher Salomone of Kenner; Nicole Salomone and Cody Salomone of Prairieville; Corey Salomone of Baton Rouge; Dr. Megan Rabalais Nuss of Baton Rouge; Nicholas Rabalais of Denver and Katherine Rabalais of Baton Rouge; and 10 great grandchildren: Christian and Lauren Whittington; Jordan, Avery and Audrey Salomone; Cayden, Michael, Lucille and Rose Salomone; and Bryan Nuss. The family will always be grateful for the 10 years of loving care “Mama RuRu” received from the staff at Southside Gardens Retirement Community and Assisted Living facility, notably from Ramona Matthews. Special thanks also to the folks at St. Joseph’s Hospice. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, St. Vincent de Paul or to a charity of your choice. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalms 73:26. , followed by a funeral mass at 11:00 AM.
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