RUTH GIBSON HOBBS
(nee BOYD)
August 21, 1926 – September 9, 2016
Much loved mother of Barry and wife Louise of Cannington, Robert and wife Laura of Markham, and Daniel and wife Brenda of Toronto; dear grandmother to Christopher and Darryl, Steven, Andrew and Sarah, and David and Rachel; great-grandmother to Ilaria and William, Colin, Maya and Katie, and Wren. Predeceased by loving husband John, sister Jean and brother Harry; survived and missed by brother Matt of Barrie and sister Diane of Oshawa. Ruth came to Canada in 1928 from Irvine, Scotland. Her family settled in Oshawa where, as a teenager, she met the love of her life, John Hobbs, who had also emigrated from the U.K. as a child. Ruth and John married young, as was the custom, and raised their three boys in Oshawa with Ruth acting as full-time Mom, entertaining hostess and chief support to John’s varied career ventures. She did books, answered phones, cooked in the restaurant, received shipments and was overjoyed when the tax consulting business they built allowed them both to retire early. This meant more free time spent at the cottage on Lake Scugog doing the things she loved: being with family, playing cards and fishing. At their Florida condo, Ruth golfed, entertained and enjoyed watching the Blue Jays at spring training. The shock of losing her beloved John to lung cancer in 2002 was difficult for Ruth. She travelled a bit and went to family get-togethers, but she didn’t seem to have the same spark. Life was not as sweet. How could it be? But she carried on with life. Ruth moved to Toronto, living close to High Park where she walked with family members who came to visit. As one approached her apartment door, you would often hear the sound of one of the Toronto sports teams on TV or perhaps an old movie. Her hearing was not what it used to be, to say the least. And after numerous hip surgeries, she was confined to a wheel chair but still enjoyed being wheeled through the park. Approaching her 9th decade, Ruth started to show signs of dementia. She was subsequently diagnosed with lung cancer. Ruth battled the tumour without chemo or surgery and outlived the doctors’ predictions. Caregivers at the nursing home talked of her pleasant nature, her readiness to smile and to not complain when facing pain or a difficult prognosis. The family would like to thank Dr. Klapwyck and Dr. Martins and the caring staff at Lakeside Long Term Care for their sensitivity and their dedication.
A Celebration of Ruth’s Life will be held at OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Wednesday, September 14th at 2:00 p.m.