Ruth Elizabeth Burgess

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Ruth Elizabeth Burgess (nee Dalton) passed away peacefully on January 4, 2021 in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

Predeceased by her beloved husband Don last year, Ruth leaves behind daughter Anne, her husband Greg, and their children Alanna and Jeff; grandson Dalton, his son Dalton Jr., and his mother Gerry; and son John.

While feeling the immense void of her absence, we all feel deeply grateful to have been blanketed by her love and support for so many years.

Born in Kingsville, Ontario on October 11, 1927, Ruth valued her family above everything, including her parents Pearl and Milton, and brothers George and Charles.

After graduating from the University of Western Ontario and interning at Toronto General Hospital, Ruth went on to become head dietician at North York General Hospital for many years. Prior to starting her career, she was a substitute home economics teacher which was undoubtedly guided by her love of cooking and needlepoint. Ruth went on to become a Certified Financial Planner – a designation made for her given her intelligence and knack for numbers.

After marrying in 1950 and living primarily in Don Mills, she and Don eventually settled on the West Coast in the late nineties in order to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They read, fished, played bridge, and spent many hours landscaping their beautiful acreage on Vancouver Island before eventually moving over to the mainland in 2013.

The pillar of our family, Ruth had a brilliant and evolved mind. She challenged herself, educating herself on technology and politics right up until her passing. Compassionate, principled, and altruistic, her generosity and kindness extended to those she knew and those she didn’t. She lived life with vigor and determination, and her enduring strength will live on in all of us.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation in Vancouver, British Columbia.