Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Ruth Johnston


Ruth Johnston

On Monday we received the news that a dear friend has passed away. I am still intrigued that the news came as such a blow even though we had expected to hear it for some time.

In most circles Ruth was known as Gordon’s wife. They were married for fifty-three years. Gordon is a leader, a gifted, magnetic, convincing and confident person. He was a successful business executive, followed by a succession of consultant and leadership roles in Christian organizations and churches. He walks with God. Ruth was a homemaker, wife and mother, the traditional role of a person of her generation. Moreover, she was compelled to be close to her home because of her physical challenges. She was a diminutive woman, made smaller through the years by the arthritis that ravaged her and the succession of complications she endured. As long as we have known her, thirty years, she lived with pain. Yet she lived so well. She was thoughtful, articulate, spiritual and interesting.

For Christine, Ruth was the complete confidant with an understanding and patient spirit and a spiritual depth of conversation that stimulated and empowered Christine. Christine loved Ruth very much. One of the hard things for Christine about our move west from Toronto was leaving Ruth. For me, Ruth was an eager listener and a delightful writer. She and I took pleasure in the way we each put words together to describe scenes and situations and to convey ideas and values. She bumped up my self esteem.

In her 77th year she passed into the arms of her Lord, Jesus Christ. She leaves a crowd of friends and three children and their spouses, Susan and Bruce, Heather and Jeremy, Graeme and Carina and grandchildren Melissa, Michael, Matthew, Kriss, Joshua, Katie, Bethany, Esther and Henry. A celebration of her life takes place) on Thursday, July 30th at 4:00 p.m., at Morningstar Christian Fellowship, 7601 Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough (just west of Morningside Avenue), Toronto.

GPS Application
"For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21


The Toronto Star Notice

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