June 27, 1952 – November 13, 2025
Ruth passed away peacefully in her sleep on Thursday November 13, 2025, after a hard-fought battle with dementia.
Ruth was born in Winnipeg on June 27, 1952, the third and youngest daughter of Les and Bonnie Harris. Growing up in St James with her two older sisters, she loved playing paper dolls and house with them.
Some of her favourite memories were vacation adventures to places all over Canada and the US in our little travel trailer. Travel planning started right after Christmas – the dining room table covered with maps. Then a trip to the Manitoba Motor League (now CAA) for a Trip Tic. Then the planning began. We travelled to Disneyland – twice. We saw the giant redwood trees in Northern California. We travelled the Pacific Coast Highway north to Vancouver, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. We swam in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We walked up and down the Las Vegas strip at midnight. We drove the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and Virginia. We visited Churchill Downs. We drove a lap around the Indianapolis 500 Speedway. We went crabbing off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, touring the White House and the Capital Building, as well as the many monuments throughout the DC area. We visited Arlington National Cemetery and the grave site of J.F. Kennedy. We visited Ottawa, the Parliament Buildings, the Mint, Niagara Falls and other southern Ontario attractions. We travelled through the Canadian Rockies, camping along the way. Dad loved to travel and visit new and different places and shared this spirit of adventure with each of his daughters.
Ruth loved adventure. She travelled to New Zealand on her own in her early 20’s to attend Capenwray Bible school. She and Jen travelled through Europe on a bus tour. They also took a road trip to Kentucky. She biked the Cabot trail in Cape Breton as well as in the South of France and Moab, Utah. She hiked the Medford track in New Zealand. She climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. She skied in Alberta and British Columbia. She spent time considerable time in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. She and Susan drove to Palm Springs one winter. We travelled to New York to support the WSO performance at Carnegie Hall, followed by a reception at the Russian Tea Room. We took a Canada-New England cruise, disembarking in Boston, taking the train to New York where we visited the 911 Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, a boat ride around Manhattan. We rode the subway in New York, walking down Canal Street. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ate pizza at Julianna’s. We walked up to the observation deck at the Empire State Building.
Ruth worked for the Bank of Montreal in Winnipeg, Calgary and rural Alberta and later with MTS in Winnipeg. Once she retired, she returned to university for a diploma to teach English as an additional language She loved her students and was very empathetic to the lives they left behind for a better life in Canada. She also spent six months in Japan teaching English. Ruth had always loved the mountains and eventually decided to move to Kelowna, returning to Winnipeg in 2022.
Ruth was predeceased by her mom and dad, Les and Bonnie Harris, sister Sydney and brother-in law Don. She is survived by her sister Susan, niece Jen (Adam and her children Liam, Callum and Cameron), nephews Leigh (Tracey, Amber and Sarah) Joshua (Val, his children Larissa and Jacob and their mother Rachel), James (Kelly and her daughter Harper), Regan (Christine, Rex and Colin). She is also survived by brother-in-law Dan (Dawn), plus cousins and friends.
Thanks to Ruth’s friends, Marion, Gayle, Judy (& Trevor) and Susan (& David) for staying in touch with Ruth until she was no longer able to communicate. Sincere thanks to Cate for her friendship and support for both Ruth and I.
Thanks to the staff on Deer Lodge Tower 3 for their loving care for Ruth – many of them also cared for Sydney prior to her death.
Cremation has taken place and there will be no service. Ruth will be laid to rest in Brookside Cemetery with her mom and dad and sister Sydney.
Flowers gratefully declined. Donations to the charity of your choice.
Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences using the comment field below.
I only remember her as a teenager i moved away after that,I can see she turned into a beautiful person. Go with God R.I.P Thanks to Susan for being such a good sister and friend to Ruth
My condolences to Ruth’s family and friends.
She was a wonderful person.
I am so happy she enjoyed many adventures in her life.
Thank you Barb.
Such a lovely, kind woman. So sad to hear. Honoured to have worked with her during her time at MTS.
Thank you Susan.
Ruth was the most caring, loyal, selfless person I have ever known. I am grateful to have known her. She loved all of her nieces and nephews fiercely and spoke of them often. Always with great pride. I’m ashamed to say I fell out of touch with Ruth when she moved to Kelowna and was not aware that she returned to Winnipeg. My deepest condolences to you Susan and all of her family.
Thank you Jill. Your friendship lasted through many life stages and changes.
Ruth was my supervisor at MTS and was wonderful- always so patient with a ‘newby’. I enjoyed working with her very much.
Thank you. Ruth did enjoy her time as a supervisor.
Ruthie, you were a special part of my teen years, You and I and Sydney spent many great times together. We lost touch years ago. but I did hear about you from Sydney until her letters stopped. Had no idea why at the time. I am so sorry you and Sydney had to go through such a tough illness. I hope you and Sydney are together again, planning your next adventure.
Even though I haven’t seen her in decades, I can see and hear her as if it were just last week. Ruth was one of the supervisors when I was a Service Representative at MTS and she and I would have funny, heartfelt, sarcastic, and interesting discussions. And several debates that we both enjoyed! So many laughs.
We didn’t just speak about work, but about family…and dementia. What a terrible disease. We spoke of it often. Years later, I experienced its impact when helping to care for my father. I’m so sorry to hear that she was afflicted, but I’m glad that she led a life of adventure while she could.
My condolences to her sister Susan and all of her family. She was a bright, funny, and memorable woman and a positive influence in my career and life.
I am very saddened to learn of Ruth’s passing. I worked with Ruth for many years at MTS, while our careers diverged we still stayed in touch, through lunch and dinners. Her laughter, her compassion, her commitment to family are just some of things I remember most vividly. My deepest condolences to her family.
Oh no,I have just learnt about the passing away of Ruth.i met around 2011 in Winnipeg.she was my English teacher for a couple months. I was new canada we became close friends that she introduced me to her family. She caring and loving.she drove me to place over manitoba till I was ordered out of canada.i lost contact till today when I remembered her full names and I googled and i saw the sad news of passing away.i was such if she was the but iwhen iread though she summary and I knew she was the one,
MAY SOUL RIP MY FRIEND TILL WE MEET AGAIN