Obituary of Ruth Hattie

Ruth Hattie, 69, of Sackville, N.B. succumbed to cancer despite excellent care at Sackville Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, 26 October, 2011. Born 26 March, 1942, she was the youngest daughter of the late Rose May (nee Ripley of Fenwick) and the late Clifford Sifton Montrose of Pugwash Junction, N.S. Many people in that area will remember Ruth at her first "job" helping her father deliver the mail, which was done, when the roads were impassable to cars, by horse drawn sleigh or waggon. She attended Margaret King School (built by Cyrus Eaton) at Pugwash Junction, and completed high school at Tatamagouche. She continued her education at Mount Allison University, initially obtaining a teaching certificate in 1960 and later BA and B.Ed. She did summer studies in Special Education at OISE in Orillia, ON. She interrupted her teaching career to complete a M.Ed program at University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon in 1981/82. Though not having any of her own, working with children was the focus of her life. After regular teaching in primary grades at Ben Moir School, Bedford and Ogden Mill School, Sackville, she devoted her skills to those in need of extra help in the academic system, beginning at Kinsmen School for Retarded Children (as it was then called) in London, ON. A challenging half year was spent teaching at Wabowden, Manitoba. The remainder of her teaching was in Sackville at Salem and Marshview Schools, interrupted by several years as Special Education Co-ordinator for the rural schools surrounding Moncton, working from the district office in Moncton. She retired in 1998. Her reach extended to the families of the children she helped, and ultimately to the community. Ruth was predeceased by her parents, brother Harold of Kingston, ON, and sisters Genevieve (Lloyd) MacLellan of Stellarton, NS, and Bernice (Carmen) of Malagash, NS. She is survived by her husband Donald Wilfrid Hattie (Sackville, NB), Harold's wife Catherine (Kingston, ON), and nieces and nephews Karen (Mark) Robinson, David (Heather) Montrose, Susan (Claude) Brown, Michael (Anne) Montrose, Brian (Martha) MacLellan, Wayne MacLellan, Chris Porteous, Sharon Porteous and John (Glenda) Porteous, as well as numerous well loved grand nieces and grand nephews, and virtual sister Charlotte (Michel) Drouin. In the summer of 1973 she participated in Experiment in International Living at Orizaba, Mexico. She visited friends in Scotland, France and Turkey, made holiday trips to Florida and South Carolina with her sisters, enjoyed travels to Cuba, and especially loved the dry country in the SW USA. She cared deeply for a sucession of pet cats and dogs. She enjoyed attending with friends performing arts events (live theatre, music and dance) and later during her retirement years enjoyed older movies on TV. She was a very speedy and voluminous reader. Cremation has taken place courtesy of Tuttle Bros. Funeral Home. A "social gathering in memory of Ruth" will take place in the basement hall of Wallace River Baptist Church, 2441 N.S. Highway 368, 1:30 to 3:00 pm on Saturday, 26 November. Private interment will be at a separate date at the Wallace River Cemetery. Ruth especially supported Canadian Cancer Society, Salvation Army and Canadian Red Cross. Arrangments have been entrusted to Tuttle Brothers Funeral Home, 171 Lutz St. Moncton. online condolences can be made via www.tuttlefuneralhome.caService Information Saturday, November 26, 2011