Ruth Anne Williams

It is with broken hearts that we the family of the late Ruth Anne Williams announce her passing on April 11, 2025, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital at the age of 84.  Born May 11,1940 in Sydney Mines, she was the biological daughter of Exelia (Jerrett) MacNeil and raised by her loving grandparents Harry and Delpine Jerrett. Mom will be forever remembered as a loving mother, grandparent, wife, sister, aunt, cousin and friend.  She brought so much love and laughter into our lives and was the glue that held our family together. 
She was adored and is survived by her husband of sixty years Charles; daughter Joanne (Darryl) Fougere of Sydney, grandsons Tristan (Kathleen) and Breton; sons Michael (Lynn) of Whitehorse, granddaughter Victoria and grandson Mitchel and the apple of “Nana GG’s” eye, great grandson Jameson; Mark (Michelle) of Scotch Lake, granddaughters MacKayla and Lexie; and Jason (Lori) of Timberlea, granddaughters Hannah and Olivia. She is also survived by her twin sister, best friend, and partner in crime Dora (Bill) Murphy of Millville; special niece Janice of Dartmouth and nephew Chris of North Sydney. We were more than cousins as we spent so much time together, it was like having two mothers. Mom will also be missed by her fur grandbabies, Harley, Mira, Onyx, Wallace, Sami, Josie, Stevie, Clawdia and Purrcy.  
Mom and Dora were an extension of one another, and you rarely saw one without the other.  They traveled across Canada together, took annual bus trips to Bangor for shopping, sold crafts as the Twin Crafters, were members of the Millville Ladies Auxiliary, and attended Choose to Lose together.  
Also left to mourn is her sister Cathy (Rob) Gray of Dartmouth; brothers Joseph (Ethel) MacNeil of Ingonish; Gerard (Karen) MacNeil of PEI; Ian (Heather) MacNeil of Sydney Mines; Sandy (Darlene) MacNeil of Sydney Mines; Eric (Colleen) MacNeil of Hinton, Alberta; and Larry (Lana) of Radium Springs, B.C.as well as many special nieces, nephews and cousins. She loved all of them and they loved her. Mom is also survived by sisters-in-laws Marion (Angus) MacAskill, Lynda Collins, Kaye Currie, Rose Osmond, and Marie Williams; brothers-in-law Lawrence Williams and Roland Williams.  
Besides her parents, mom is predeceased by her siblings, Ernest, Stanley, Edward, Clarence, William, Josie, Millie and Eleanor and their spouses.  Also, stepfather Bernie MacNeil with whom she was very close; her in laws Charles and Delores Williams, as well as brother in laws Harold, Joe, Raymond, Norman and sister in laws Marie, Shirley, Barbara and Louise. 
In her early years, mom worked at Josie’s Snack Bar with her sisters Josie, Millie and Eleanor where she met our dad.  She became a hairdresser in 1961 and later managed Ruth Anne’s Dockside Restaurant at Marine Atlantic terminal in North Sydney, making many friends along the way. She was famous for hosting family gatherings and catered many weddings, baking her famous shortbreads for every occasion and distributing them around the neighbourhood at Christmas. She worked hard and she loved just as hard. She will lovingly be remembered by her best friend and neighbour Gloria Reid, and her Wednesday Afternoon Card Club. She was a member for years of the Happy Club, the Kinnette Club of Sydney Mines and a former recipient of Kinnette of the year. Mom was also an active member of Our Holy Family Parish and her community. 
Special thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff of Unit 4B and the An Cala Palliative Care Unit of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital for your care and compassion during her illness.   
Cremation has taken place under the care of Jobes Funeral home, Sydney Mines.  A funeral service followed by a luncheon reception will be held at Holy Family Parish Hall, 905 Main Street, Sydney Mines at 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.    In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the An Cala Palliative Care unit of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.

“A mother’s love is a bond that nothing can sever, it lasts through all time, and it lasts forever” author unknown 
 

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