Ruth Desarbo

Ruth (Wade) DeSarbo, 81, of Westbrook, passed away peacefully Friday, December 30 at home surrounded by her family and friends. She was born at home in Deep River on May 14 1941, to the late Merle and Glenna Wade. She was the 3rd of 4 siblings, attended school in Deep River and played the tuba in The Valley Regional high school Marching Band.

She was many things to many people, first and foremost she was a wife and mother, she was a sister, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother. She was a friend, an adventurer, a hard worker, a leader, a volunteer, team player and an entrepreneur.

Ruth worked for the the Penny Saver in Westbrook before deciding to take the leap and open up a business of her own. She opened up a breakfast restaurant across from the Westbrook town green and named it The Muffin Corner. For the next 7 years every morning she would open the doors, greet her customers most whom she knew by name and cook them their breakfast.

When her son started college She sold The Muffin Corner and went to work for The Shoreline Times who had purchased her previous employer the Penny Saver, she worked there for over 30 years.

When she retired from The Shoreline Times she didn’t sit idle, before long she was baking, making potato salad and even cooking breakfast again at her sons Westbrook eatery, Edd’s Place, she continued that for the next 20 years.

In 2013 she decided to turn her love of antiques into a business and she opened Rambling River Antiques in Westbrook. It was a 7400 sq foot showcase antique shop and she took great pride in the ever changing inventory, the creative displays, and the fair prices.

She loved the shoreline community where she lived for over 80 years and throughout that time could be found at community events helping to make them a time to remember. The Old Saybrook Bicentennial weekend celebration and Westbrook’s “Set Sail for Westbrook” weekend are 2 of the many events that she put her everything into.

For over 30 years Ruth was also a proud member of The Rotary Club of Madison and like everything else in her life she gave it her all. She considered herself very lucky to have been able, along with her husband Joe, to travel to Haiti to volunteer with the Haitian Health Foundation to help and serve the needs of the people with vaccinations, dental work as well as helping to build Happy Houses. She helped to establish the Madison Guilford Rotary program Warm the Children, she was chair of the Madison Labor Day Rotary Carnival, as well as serving as club president twice. She loved Rotary and all of the friends that she made throughout her time with them and she lived by their motto “Service above self”.

Family was at the top of her list and she planned numerous family adventures, Disney world with all of the grandchildren, family cruises, and an African Safari are most memorable. She loved hosting Christmas and would make it an event to remember, especially for the children.

Growing up on a farm encouraged her love of animals which continued throughout her lifetime. She had a soft spot for any animal that needed help or a home.

Ruth is survived by her son, Edward Hannett Jr. and wife Kim Lambert, grandson Tobin Hannett, grand daughter Jakota Rivas, great grandchildren, Sebastion, Jadon, Jalie, Jaxon & Jaron, as well as her bonus grandchildren Hunter, Elizabeth and Abigail. She also leaves behind her nieces, Rose and Lillian and nephews James, Howard and Steve. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Joseph DeSarbo, and her twin sisters Sylvia Thompson and Sara Beardsley.

A wake will be held in her honor on Sunday, January 8th from 1-4 at Swan funeral home located at 825 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT All are welcome. The burial will be Monday the 9th of January at Resurrection Cemetery in Westbrook. Contributions can be made in Ruth’s name to Madison Rotary club for The Warm the Children fund that was dear to Ruth. In light of the recent surge of covid and the flu , masks are requested.