On February 27th 2023 Mary Ruth Olsen passed away peacefully after suffering a stroke in December. She was the beloved wife of the late Kai Christian Olsen (d.1997) and the loving mother of Pia (Penny) Bøgh and her husband Garnet Grimard of Williams Lake B.C. and Dan Bøgh Olsen of Scarborough ON. Ruth had been a resident of Fairview Lodge since 2020.
Ruth was the second daughter of four born to Jens Grønlund and Olga Mathilde Bøgh in Nykøbing Falster in Danmark. For some reason no one, not even her parents called her Mary. She was always Ruth to everyone who knew her well. She was only 14 when the Nazis occupied Danmark. After the war Ruth worked in childcare and in 1949 she worked as a nanny for the owner at that time of Iceland Air for a year. It was in Iceland she met Kai, who was also from Danmark, when he was working as a stone mason and master tiler.
On August 18th 1951 Ruth and Kai were married and in 1955 Dan was born and two years later in 1957 Pia was born. It was in July of 1957 that the family moved to Canada on Linsmore in Toronto where they were very kindly welcomed by Ruth's Tant Sophie and Oncle Einar Olsen. The Family finally settled in Oshawa in 1958 where Kai found work. Sophie and Einar had three children: Elsie, Inger and Paul. Unfortunately Einar passed away in 1960 but Sophie and her children helped keep family ties when everyone else was in Danmark.
Those early years were hard and at that time Kai could not work when it was too cold in the winter. Ruth worked very hard looking after two young children. In 1958 everyone except Ruth were sick with the Asian flu for a few weeks and looking after of us was very hard. In 1963 Ruth started work at the Oshawa General Hospital where she made so many good friends for so many years. Ruth worked on 2F children's floor for 27 years until her retirement. Kai often did the cooking when Ruth was one of the three rotating stifts in those days. She always enjoyed a good cup of coffee after a shift before going to bed.
In 1967 just before Christmas Mom and Dad bought a little house on Melrose and there she lived until for 46 years until2014. After this she moved to Pringle Creek and then to Fairview Lodge from 2020 until her passing.
As things got easier Mom and Dad made many trips to Danmark to visit family and friends they had not seen for many years. Some also came to visit notably her sister Inger and husband Paul Neumann. Another was Elna Hansen who she met through Mrs. Ormsby, a mutual friend. Elna worked at Toronto General Hospital for a few years before returning to Danmark. Elan visited Canada and hosted Ruth many times before and after Kai's passed away. In 2007 Ruth received Andre Rieu tickets for her 80th birthday. Her friend Elna was visiting so they and Jeannie, one of her best friends for many years, went to the concert just before Christmas. Mom always loved Andre Rieu and enjoyed his music over many years.
Over the years we had many happy and joyous Christmas Eves, Easters, weddings and other family gatherings with Paul and Linda, Inger and Ray, Elsie and Clarence and after Elsie's passing Helen and Clarence. It was good to see Sophie,Jeff and Carole, Peter and Jenn, Diane and Roddy, Brenda and John, Susan and Scott, Linda and Ian, Grant and Donna, Lois and Doug and all of their children. After a while the family gatherings got a bit too large but we were always invited to Carol and Jeff's for Christmas Eve and Easter with Ava and Mia their children as well as Carol's parents Connie and Allegro Benincasa and her brother Johnny and of course Paul and Linda Olsen, Jeff's parents. Thanks for all the love you showed. Ruth loved and appreciated all of you very much for the familial hospitality.
We would also like to thank Don and Jeannie Laing and their family for all the warm Thanksgiving and Christmas Day celebrations. They always made us feel at home and Ruth loved you all.
We would also like to add love and gratitude to Ita and Joe Jessen, Donna and Roy Hawley, Lilly Jorgenson, Mabel Bernard, Candy Bryant, Gail Burden, Jo McComb,Chris Cheski and Bill Peel, Betty Lou Cassidy (and her beautiful blanket),Ruth Brittain, Patty Kerr, Rose Lines, Carol Lowery, Vivian McDonald, Jim and Roberta McCann, Eric Pedersen, Stephanie Roddy, Helen Smith, Kirsten and Gunnar Sønderskov, Carm Vandenburg, Doris and Henry Arseneau, and her doctor of many years Dr. Dhillon. You have always helped Mom and shown great love and care.
We will never forget the kindness and love shown to Ruth but especially in the final weeks of her life by all the staff of Fairview Lodge. Ruth was especially fond of all the staff ofTrafalgar Square who showed their kindness and respect and took such good care of her.
There are never enough words to describe such a long and fruitful life and do it justice but I hope these will shine some light on a life well lived.
In lieu of flowers a donation to Heart and Stroke would be greatly appreciated.