Obituary of Ruth Marie Kunsch
Our beloved Ruth passed away peacefully on the evening of January 10, 2025, at Parkwood Mennonite Home in Waterloo with her family by her side, after a brief illness and long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Ruth is survived by her loving daughters Jocelyn (Peter) and Deborah (Kevin), and her bonus granddaughters Gwen, Ellie, and Annie. She also leaves behind a wonderful and caring extended family of sisters-in-law: Grace, Janet, and Margaret, as well as brother-in-law Herb, many nieces and nephews, and their children. She is predeceased by her husband of over 50 years, Bill Kunsch, her father Thomas Skanes, her mother Ethel Skanes, brothers Hubert Skanes and Max Skanes (Beth), and sisters Joyce Loveys (Roy), Joan Hunt (Ozwald), and Jean Skanes.
Ruth, the youngest of 6 children, was born on Bell Island, Newfoundland. A lover of learning and reading, she attended Memorial University in St. John’s and then taught school at Grand Falls Academy, as well as back in St. John’s. She continued to teach after moving to Ontario and settled in Kitchener, where she taught Grade 3 at Sheppard Public School (she loved that age of eager students).
She met her soulmate, Bill, through mutual friends and they married in 1967, beginning their lives together in Kitchener. They traveled and camped throughout Canada and built their dream home on Waldau Crescent just outside Kitchener, with lots of room for Bill’s gardens and Ruth’s love of trees. After Jocelyn and Deborah completed their foursome, she and Bill owned and operated The Donut Castle in Waterloo, where they served the uptown community for over 14 years. Never one to rest, Ruth finished her working years at Tim Horton’s where her regular customers and co-workers loved her quick wit, easy smile, and caring nature.
Ruth’s friends and family will remember her love of music, books (oh, the volumes of books!), trees, nature, a good game of cards, and shared moments of silliness and laughter - often being the instigator of shenanigans. They’ll also remember her living out her unspoken philosophy of “leave things better than you find them”. Her gentle way with children, animals, nature, family and friends, as well as strangers and the world in general, leaves a legacy of easy kindness that will never be forgotten.
Ruth’s family would like to thank the amazing team at Parkwood Mennonite Home who cared for her during the 18 months she lived there. Special thanks to the nurses, PSWs, chaplains, care directors, and many others for their thoughtful and caring support of Ruth and her family during her final days there. Those days were peaceful and full of love, and she can now rest easy.
Cremation has taken place. Visitation and service/celebration details will follow in Spring 2025.
In lieu of flowers, condolences for the family and donations to The Alzheimer’s Society of Waterloo Wellington may be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King Street S., Waterloo, 519-745-8445 or via www.erbgood.com.