Ruth Michasiw

It is with great sadness that Ruth Elizabeth Michasiw (nee Cameron), in her 89th year, passed peacefully on the morning of January 5, 2023.

Beloved wife of 65 years to Anton (Tony) Michasiw. Devoted mother to Elizabeth Michasiw (Duncan Pursell), Joseph Michasiw (Derek Loebsack) and Dianne Goldsmith (Clarke). An amazing grandmother to Cory Chisholm (Dany Aleman de Luna), Joshua Burchill (Amy), late Michael Burchill and William Goldsmith (Jenn Nicholson). A great-grandmother to Keira and Rylee. A special godmother to Valerie Dukelow (Maines). A caring and supportive Aunt to her many nieces and nephews. A stepsister to Don Barkhouse and Mary-Ann Hiltz (Kyle).  Predeceased by her parents Ralph and Hannah (Glawson) Cameron and her brother Garnet Cameron. Ruth will be fondly remembered by her family and many dear friends.

Ruth grew up in a small village in Mooseland, NS and was educated in a one room schoolhouse, finishing her 12th grade at the Musquodoboit High School.

Ruth had an amazing career in the medical industry. She graduated as a nurse from the Halifax Infirmary School of Nursing in 1955 with a postgraduate in Psychiatry. After graduating, she decided to apply to Trans Canada Airlines as a stewardess where one had to be a nurse! It was during this time that she met her love, Tony and they married on September 6, 1958, in Mooseland, NS. Tony and Ruth built a home in Georgetown, raising their 3 children. While Ruth raised her family, she continued to practise nursing at the Brampton Memorial Hospital and Georgetown District Memorial Hospital from 1959 to 1962. In 1963 Ruth worked for Dr. MacIntosh. In 1975, with the support of Dr. MacIntosh, Ruth graduated from MacMaster University with a Nurse Practitioner in Primary Health Care Diploma.

In 1977 Ruth took a position at Chelsey Park Nursing Home as the Head Nurse. In December 1980, Ruth was promoted to Director of Resident Care. During 1984 Ruth completed a 21-month course in Long Term Care Organization and Management through the University of Ottawa and retired in 1996.

Ruth had a love and passion for travelling and discovering our world. This started with taking her children to Thunder Bay, ON and Mooseland & Bridgewater NS every summer to visit family. As the children grew, they then began to discover their country. Each year along with Gladys Moorhead and her boys (John and Bruce), they would pick a province and discover it through museums, historical forts, etc.

Grandma wanted to do something special for each of her grandsons. On separate occasions she took each of them on a road trip to Nova Scotia. Each trip was unique discovering the history of the Maritime provinces and searching for their descendants.

When she retired, Ruth travelled with Gladys Moorhead, Pat Maines and Carol Cameron visiting many places around the world; China, cruise of the Panama Canal and Amazon River, Antarctica cruise with stops in Argentina, the Chilean Fjords and Cape Horne, cruise the North Atlantic Islands starting in Norway and following the route of the Vikings to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland. New Zealand and Australia, France, England, Cyprus, Alaska Cruise, the Virgin Islands, throughout the United States and the Magdalene Islands where her mother's family originated. Ruth's last trip was to Yellowknife, NWT to visit her grandson, Michael in November 2018.

Upon retirement, Ruth became very busy in the Community. This included volunteering at the Georgetown Senior Centre in reception, kitchen, and travel committee as well as being on the Board of Directors for 3 years. Ruth also volunteered within other community committees such as Elderly Services Advisory Committee and SALT (Seniors and Law-Enforcement Together). During this time, Ruth took a course on Memoir Writing and created a book of short stories - "The Way I See It".

Ruth also pulled together the original Michasiw Family Tree which included stories and pictures that brings the family to life for future generations - "First Person Plural".

Ruth had a love of learning, reading, gardening, hiking, and traveling. She was the caregiver to not only her family but to her many friends and within the profession she chose. She was elegant and very down to earth. Ruth leaves a "legacy of kindness".

A special thank you to Dr. Chu, Dr. Hawrylyshyn, Jennifer and the palliative team, and the staff at Amica for their kindness and attentiveness.

Please join us in celebrating her life Monday January 9, 2023, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Jones Funeral Home, Georgetown, ON.

In lieu of flowers, spend time with your family creating memories as she did with all of us. Donations may be made to Alzheimer's Society.