Ruby Mary Merisalo

When Ruby Mary Merisalo walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Ruby Mary was and how she impacted those around her. Ruby Mary was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Ruby Mary wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Ruby Mary was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

      Ruby Mary was born on December 25, 1946 at General Hospital in Sault Ste Marie Ontario. She was the daughter of Ormen and Beverly DiGiamberardine. Ruby Mary was raised in Sault ste Marie Ontario. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Ruby Mary might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Ruby Mary was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

      Ruby Mary was raised with Two siblings. She had one older sister,Pearl and one younger sister Toni. Ruby Mary was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Ruby Mary was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Ruby Mary well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

      As a young girl, Ruby Mary was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Ruby Mary was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Ruby Mary took part in skating, tobogganing. Ruby Mary's memorable achievements included. Ruby Mary had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

      During her high school years, Ruby Mary responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Sir James Dunn in 1966. Ruby Mary was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Ruby Mary absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Ruby Mary, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Ruby Mary a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was English. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Miss Lamb.

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Ruby Mary was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Ruby Mary was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Albert Camirand,Danny Stocco. Later in life, she became friends with Linda Boulard,Jenn and Don Koprash,Rosemary and Howard LeBlanc,Arlene and John Orazetti,Susan and John Chow.

      On June 7, 1969 Ruby Mary married Ruby Mary Nowella Christine DiGIamberardine at St. Jerome Catholic Church of Sault ste Marie. Ruby Mary's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Erik's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Ruby Mary was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

      Ruby Mary was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Ruby Mary, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Merisalo home. Ruby Mary's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Ruby Mary was blessed with Two children: One son Mark and one daughter Erika.

      Ruby Mary was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was Teachers Assistant. She was employed for over 25 years by The Huron Superior Catholic Seperate School Board. Ruby Mary was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Ruby Mary had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Ruby Mary's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

      Because Ruby Mary loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were play games on the computer Hearts,flowers at camp,taking pictures. Ruby Mary had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Ruby Mary's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Ruby Mary derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included bowling,snowmobiling. Ruby Mary was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity.

      Throughout her life, Ruby Mary was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Ruby Mary seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Ruby Mary usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Ruby Mary was an active member of the Sault Trailblazers Snowmobile Club.

      Because Ruby Mary was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Ruby Mary's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Ruby Mary found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Ruby Mary was an active member of several community groups, serving on committees for the local theater group.

      Ruby Mary was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of St Jeromes for 54 years. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

      Ruby Mary's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Ruby Mary took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included Cuba,Punta Cana,Fort Myers Beach,Las Vegas and Key West.

      Ruby Mary was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Benji,a Miniature Poodle and Maggie a Wire haired Fox Terrier, was a best friend for Benji for 17 years and Maggie for 9 years. Her family was rounded out by her one cat Kissa for 5 years.

      When Ruby Mary's retirement finally came in 2012, Ruby Mary handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Ruby Mary to master. In retirement, she found new pleasure in her flower garden at camp,taking pictures of wild life at camp. Even in retirement, Ruby Mary continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

      Ruby Mary Merisalo passed away on February 8, 2014 at West side Regional Medical Center Plantation Florida. She died suddenly from a brain aneurysm and cardiac arrest. She is survived by her husband Erik. Son Mark and daughter Erika. Services were held at Arthur Funeral Home and Cremation Centre. Ruby Mary was laid to rest at her home.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Ruby Mary. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Ruby Mary Merisalo for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Ruby Mary was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.

MERISALO, Ruby Mary Nowella – While on vacationing in Florida, she passed away suddenly on February 8, 2014 at the age of 67. Lovingly missed by her husband Eric of 44 years, children Mark (fiancé Chantal) and Erika (husband Dana). Ruby spent over 25 years employed by the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board. Before that she worked for Rudy Peres Law Office and Trans Canada Credit. Sadly missed by many friends. Friends may call at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Saturday, March 8, 2014 from 12 pm until 2 pm. Funeral service will be held in the chapel at 2 pm. Rev. Eric Pannike officiating. Many thanks to the emergency staff and doctors at Westside Regional Medical Centre in Plantation, Florida. Special thanks to Rosemary and Howard LeBlanc. Memorial contributions to Autism Ontario Sault Ste. Marie would be appreciated by the family. Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.arthurfuneralhome.com

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MERISALO, Ruby Mary Nowella – While on vacationing in Florida, she passed away suddenly on February 8, 2014 at the age of 67. Lovingly missed by her husband Eric of 44 years, children Mark (fiancé Chantal) and Erika (husband Dana). Ruby spent over 25 years employed by the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board. Before that she worked for Rudy Peres Law Office and Trans Canada Credit. Sadly missed by many friends. Friends may call at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Saturday, March 8, 2014 from 12 pm until 2 pm. Funeral service will be held in the chapel at 2 pm. Rev. Eric Pannike officiating. Many thanks to the emergency staff and doctors at Westside Regional Medical Centre in Plantation, Florida. Special thanks to Rosemary and Howard LeBlanc. Memorial contributions to Autism Ontario Sault Ste. Marie would be appreciated by the family. Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.arthurfuneralhome.com