Obituary of H. Ruth Stratton

Helen Ruth Stratton, wife of the late Honourable Stuart G. Stratton, QC, passed away on Sunday, February 3, 2013, at home. Born in Saint John on January 3, 1921, she was a daughter of the late Albert H. and Iva May (Cromwell) Ellis. Ruth was a proud graduate of Saint John High School; she then graduated from the Saint John General School of Nursing in 1943 and served in World War II in the Canadian Army in England as a Nursing Sister. Upon her return, Ruth nursed at the DVA Lancaster Hospital where she met her husband; they were married on August 5, 1950. In 1953, they moved to Moncton where they resided until 1975. From 1975 to 1980, they lived in Morna Heights in Saint John, and then moved to Fredericton, returning to Saint John in 2008. Mrs. Stratton was involved with Meals on Wheels in Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton, was the founding President of the Red Cross Visiting Homemakers Program, and was the first elected female Chairperson of the District 15 School Board in Moncton. Until five years ago she swam every weekday morning with her friends at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fredericton. Mrs. Stratton was extremely devoted to her husband, their children and grandchildren, and the neighbourhood kids, especially at the family cottage in Pointe du Chêne. Mrs. Stratton is survived by her children Linda Forestell (Frank) of Saint John, and their children Stuart Forestell (Caitlin White) and Peter Forestell, of Ottawa, ON; Kathryn Stratton, QC of Moncton; Anne Stratton of Fredericton and her children Elias Armenakis and Eleni Armenakis, of Ottawa and Toronto, ON; and Christopher Stratton (Susan) of Lower Coverdale and their children Alexandra Stratton of Fredericton, Riley Stratton of Lower Cambridge, and Kristofer McDavid (Ashley) of Miramichi. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Margaret Stratton of Riverview, and nieces Susan Stratton of Brampton, ON, Christie Cormier (Emile) of Riverview, Penny Stratton of Brampton, ON, Peggy Borlase (Hugh) of Moncton. Mrs. Stratton was predeceased by her brother, Harold Ellis, and his wife Helen (James) Ellis. She is survived by niece Rebecca Ellis of Saint John and nephew David Ellis (Lynn St. Pierre-Ellis) of Fredericton. Over the past four years, Ruth was blessed with excellent caregivers from Assessments Plus: Mary Beth Ethier, Evelyn Thibodeau, Cari Hachey, Theresa Cunningham, Dorothy Alexander, Sondra Lewis, and Carrie Thibodeau. Resting at Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John (634-7424), with visiting on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 from 7-9 PM. The Funeral Service will be held from Brenan’s Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 12:00 Noon. Interment will take place in Greenwood Cemetery, Pointe du Chêne, New Brunswick at a later date. For those who wish, remembrances to the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences and remembrances may be placed at www.BrenansFH.com.