Ruth was born December 5, 1931 in South Vancouver where she was raised and lived her whole life within a small two mile radius. That said Ruth was no small town girl.  She was sophisticated in every sense of the word.

Ruth attended Vancouver Tech high school where she studied tailoring.  In the years that followed Ruth sewed most of her own and her families clothes and made the draperies and linens in her home as well.  She had an amazing sense of style and elegance which is reflected in her home and how she presented herself and her family to the world. Ruth eventually passed her fashion sense on to her kids who have continued her legacy �" just ask the girl’s husbands if they have room in their closets!!

Ruth met Joe in high school and they began their lives together in the basement suite of Ruth’s parents just blocks from the home they built together on 53rd Avenue.  Ruth’s parents Marie and Henry Daykin brothers Bert and Walter and sister Barbara left the neighbourhood but Ruth and husband Joe made it their home as they raised their five children David, twins Raymond and Marianne, Anna-Marie and Annette.  The house on 53rd and Vivian was in a new and growing Champlain Community that gave the whole family many life long friends.

Ruth and Joe were also among the earliest members and were instrumental in building the current Corpus Christi Church and Elementary School in the 1950s. Throughout her life Ruth worked tirelessly as a devoted volunteer for the church and school including the ladies auxiliary, arranging Bazaars, Rummage Sales, social events, fundraisers, Church decorating and heading up Project Advance in its first years.  This is also where Ruth honed her skills as a consummate cheerleader while driving to and from or attending many of her children’s school sports games.

As the children grew and headed off to high school, at Notre Dame Regional Senior Secondary, Ruth continued her volunteering, attending sports matches and driving teams.  Mom was on hand for many emergency visits to hospitals for sprains, strains and broken bones.  She was able to call football plays with the best of them and had a true love of attending sports events that carried through with her for life.

Also during these years of raising her children, Ruth was instrumental in bringing her and Dad’s families together for events at their beautiful home built in the 1950s.  Dad built the house nail by nail over several years during the off hours he wasn’t working his regular jobs in construction and once built Ruth filled the home with life and love which she then opened to friends, relatives, neighbours, parishioners, Dad’s Prior Street groups, sports clubs and tons of family at many, many wonderful outings over the next 55 years.  Ruth was a wonderful homemaker - a planner and a doer, no task too large whether it was painting siding, building rock walls, mowing lawns, pulling up trees, climbing ladders to help Dad on the roof �" whatever it took.  When it came to entertaining, which Ruth did so often, lists upon lists were made, and paying special attention to every detail was inherent to her nature.  She did it all and made it look so easy.  Mom loved to cook and her Cannelloni will be forever regarded as a favourite.

Camping was a mainstay of the Durante clan for much of the first 20 years of marriage.  We still don’t quite know how Mom managed to get our family ready for a weekend or weeklong camping trip with 5 kids under foot but she did �" regularly for 20 years!  In the 1970’s Dad bought property at Sheridan Lake and soon there was another home for Ruth to share with family and friends.  At the cottage neighbours fondly referred to Ruth as “Blondie”!  Charades and campfire songs were a particular favourite of Mom’s.  Mom always gave her fullest so for one charade of the song Surfin USA she laid on the ground next to the camp fire flailing her arms and legs.  We all knew the answer but shamefully belly laughed and waited until just before she collapsed of exhaustion before shouting the song’s name.

Ruth’s own past times were playing piano, listening to music (she loved anything by Barbra Streisand or Andrea Bocelli), and gardening.  Ruth was an avid gardener and she passed that passion and green thumb on to several of the children including some friendly rivalry with Raymond on which grass was best groomed!  The green thumb was also passed along in a big way to Marianne who is an amazing floral designer.  Mom and Marianne both worked for wholesale florist David L. Jones when Mom decided to take a part time job in the 1980s.  Marianne also takes on Mom’s legacy of being an amazing homemaker and bringing families together for which Mom was extremely proud.

Mom also loved to go to summer outings, barbeques and winter galas whether it be for New Years or Italian Community events, fundraisers or just out for dinner with family.  Mom loved to dance.  She and Dad did an amazing jitterbug and owned the dance floor when they did ‘cut a rug’.

Ruth loved to travel and in later years got to enjoy more widespread travel on trips with friends and family to California, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Florida, Caribbean, Alaska, across Canada and to Italy.  There were repeated trips to Disneyland and Northern California where Ruth reconnected with her cousin Jerry and his wife Ann and their family.  Jerry became like a brother to Ruth and she loved him and Ann dearly.  Ruth was instrumental in ensuring that her kids also got to see Italy and worked with Dad to arrange an amazing trip for us in 2004 (despite just being released from hospital with a mending fractured hip a few days prior to the trip).  Mom also helped to plan the many annual family golf outings for family and friends in and around Vancouver and Washington State.  Anna-Marie and Mom travelled together many times and this was a special pleasure they both shared.

As mentioned earlier, Ruth enjoyed sports.  From watching and attending football, hockey, baseball and lacrosse games to joining and volunteering where she could.  Lacrosse was a special passion in Dad and Mom’s lives from the early years when Dad played in the 1940’s, following on to the Richmond Roadrunners years of the early 70’s when Raymond and David played with that club to becoming members of the Executive Committee of the Vancouver Burrards Lacrosse Club in the 80’s.  They would never admit it but we know they did some silent cheering for Ray and Dave when they were playing for the Coquitlam Adanacs and subsequently Westminster Salmonbellies as members of the opposing teams!!!  There were many road trips with various lacrosse teams and this began years of long term social connections to many wonderful people in their lives.  Ruth was particularly proud of David’s accomplishments in being part of Lacrosse’s four major championships and was especially so when he was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997.

Firefighters held a special place in Mom’s heart and the most special of all was her son Raymond.  Ray’s years with the department brought Mom much pride and she was there with him at his retirement ceremony beaming as he entered the room in full dress uniform.

Mom proclaimed she wasn’t much of a ‘dog lover’ but is seen in many photos with her infectious smile beside several canine friends (Chocho, D.O.G. and Tia).  In later years Ruth loved visits by Annette and the ‘dogs’ which were quick to find her lap even though they were 100 plus pound Rottweilers.  Annette provided Mom with so much joy and laughter with her amazing sense of humour and zest for life.

Mom was extremely proud of the additions to our family as the kids and grandkids grew up and began their own lives.  She loved and felt great joy in the presence of Rick, Janet, Sue, Jenny, Kyle and Adam and their extended families. Mom was also forever adopting her kid’s friends as her own and there were many that were special to her heart.

As a grandmother to Christopher (CJ), Kyle and Amy, Ruth was enormously proud of them and what wonderful adults they have become.  Each one has given her hours of joy and blessings and much delight.

Mom and Dad had 58 years together and Mom loved him dearly.  Anyone who knows Mom knows that she was not a ‘huggy’ person but her love of and devotion to Joe was unwavering and she will be greatly missed.

Ruth is now ‘in God’s care’ but will never be forgotten.

Donations: Charity of your choice.