Ruth Ellen Gleason Bruick, 93, passed away from this life on Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She was born to John Edward Gleason and Mary Ruth O’Hare on June 1, 1933, in Kansas City, Missouri. She was one of three children. She graduated high school from Mount Saint Mary’s Academy in Little Rock and attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Ruth met her handsome husband of 65 years, Gene Bruick, in Little Rock at a Knights of Columbus dance. It was love at first sight and they married soon afterwards. Although Ruth lived in various places growing up, Charleston, Arkansas and Fort Smith, Arkansas are where they raised their three children, and she resided for the last 64 years.
Ruth was a homemaker, a volunteer, a Master Gardener, and most importantly a devout Catholic. She loved to travel and was an avid reader. Never one to sit idle, Ruth spent many years administering Communion to patients at Mercy Hospital where she also volunteered in the ICU waiting room. Ruth was known for her vegetable gardens, and her family all benefited from her harvests, whether fresh off the vines or receiving canned vegetables during the winter months. If you found Ruth sitting, it was always with either a crossword puzzle or a book in her hand! She read everything from fiction, non-fiction, biographies, history, poetry, and spiritual tomes. She had many hundreds of books, and she would spend all week combing through them looking for ‘words of wisdom’ which she would text to her grandchildren every Sunday. They all looked forward to receiving Grandma’s Sunday texts!
Ruth is survived by her children John (Jack) Joseph Bruick, and wife Donna, Karen Bruick Meyers, and husband Danny all of Fort Smith, and Kevin Michael Bruick and wife Robin of Little Rock; grandchildren: Meredith (Cole) Colville of Prospect, KY; Lauren (Clinton) Shown of Greenwood, AR; Christopher (Chelsea) Bruick of Springdale, AR; Gregory (Christa) Meyers of Potomac, MD; Erica (Matthew) Cunningham of Charlotte, NC; Katie (Bryan) Simpson of Springfield, MO; Jenna (Davey) Kreighbaum of New York City, NY; Ben Bruick of Overland Park, KS; Jordan (Tori) Davis, Andrew (Kirstin) Davis, and Joshua Davis all of Little Rock, and 14 great grandchildren: Evelyn, Ethan, Hudson, Landon, Cason, Charlotte, Aubrey, Eleanor, Luke, Skipper, Griffin, Charley Kay, Lillian, and Amelia.
Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Gene E. Bruick, her parents, John E. & Mary Ruth Gleason, and her siblings, Jack Edward Gleason and Joann Catherine Gleason Jordan.
Rosary and visitation will be held on Sunday evening, July 5th at Edwards Funeral Home at 5:00 PM, rosary service to begin at 6:00 PM, and funeral services on Monday, July 6th at 10:00 AM at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Gregory Meyers, Christopher Bruick, Ben Bruick, Cole Colville, Clinton Shown, Matthew Cunningham, Bryan Simpson, Davey Kreighbaum, and Jordan, Andrew, and Joshua Davis. Honorary pallbearers will be the I.C. Ladies Auxiliary.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Trinity Catholic School, or Heart to Heart Pregnancy and Family Care Center.
