RUTH GERTRUDE DUFFIE (nee: MACKLEM), 97, of Carrollton, TX was a wonderful mother, grandmother, great grandmother, mother-in-law to Dennis, a loving and loved cousin to many, and a truly loyal friend to many more. She passed away peacefully on Sunday, 5th of March 2023 after a short stay at Vitas Inpatient Hospice Unit, On the Campus of Carrollton Regional Medical Center. While in care at the hospital and Hospice mom got to spend time with close friends and other family members. She enjoyed being with Dennis her Son-in-Law of 32 years as he visited daily at the hospital and at hospice care. Ruth told him he turned out to be a really good guy. She was blessed to have spent time in hospice with all of her grandchildren, one great grandchild and her mother. She face-timed with 2 of her great grandchildren and their mother and well as spending time with me, her daughter. Ruth was born on 1st February 1926 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. In 1951 she married William Frederick Duffie in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. They moved to Ft Lauderdale, FL in the late 1950's and divorced in late 1960's. He remarried and died in 1988. She met her significant other, Eric Barton about 1969 or 1970 of whom she had a loving and meaningful relationship for 14+ years. In her words, their relationship was as good at the end as it was in the beginning, upon Eric's death in 1984. Ms Ruth Duffie (Macklem) attended MacDonald Institute (now known as Guelph University) in Guelph, Ontario, Canada per her parents' desire for a degree in Home Economics. Afterwards she pursued her interest in the medical field and attended Boston College to receive a degree as a Laboratory Technician.
After moving to Ft. Lauderdale, in the late 1950's, she worked for Broward General Hospital and Hollywood Memorial Hospital as a Lab Technician. The last 20+ years of her career were spent at Holy Cross Hospital where she advanced to Supervisor of the Blood Bank. At this time, it was discovered that she had a brain aneurysm. Dr. F. Gary Gieseke was her neurosurgeon. We and all our family members are especially forever grateful for his decision to continue the surgery as it gave us another 32 years of life with her. We stayed in touch yearly but sadly Dr Gieseke passed way in 2020. I and our family though shall hold him in our hearts and his family in our prayers for without him and the Good Lord we would not have had all the wonderful additional years with this extraordinary lady. Ruth loved her job and always said that for the most part she was very lucky to have had such wonderful people to work for and with. For those that are still here, know that she thought, talked, cared, and did her best to stay on top of everyone after moving to Texas in 1992. Ruth looked forward to receiving the letters and calls from friends and co-workers throughout the years. Ruth loved life to the fullest. She enjoyed playing Bridge, but her love was the outdoors horseback riding, especially bareback at the farm, water skiing, swimming, golfing, tennis, and figure skating. The highlight for her was going with Eric several times a week to the Racetrack, either Calder in Miami or the Pompano Harness Track. Ruth never met a stranger and rarely met someone that she didn't like or who didn't like her.
My brother and I including my husband Dennis were not the only ones to call her mom. She was called Ruth or Ruthie, but many also called her Mom, Mom Ruth, Texas Mom, Second Mom, Grandma, Grandma Ruth. Mom had such a nurturing and loving nature, with a bit of a temper too that she passed a part down to other members of the family. Ruth said her longevity was due to her parents giving her a good childhood, hard work, good food and a drink at dinner and one at bedtime occasionally. Her doctors laughed when she told them this but agreed that it must have contributed to her longevity based on her 97 years. Ruth was an only child and was preceded in death by her parents Garnet (Mac) Chester Macklem and Gladys (Glad) Gertrude Carson. Her ex-husband and father of her children William F Duffie, Her significant other Eric Barton, Her son Garnet (Gary) Macklem Duffie. Ruth is survived by her daughter Barbara (Barb) Anne T O'Block (nee Duffie), son-in-law Dennis (Denny) P O'Block, three grandchildren, Robert (Rob) M Adamove (Danika), Charles (CT) T Thiemann II (Angela), and Jennifer (Jenny) L Duffie. Also survived by 4 great grandchildren: Adian S Johnson, Ava D Adamove, Parker J Thiemann and Autumn M Thiemann, her Son-In-Law's (Dennis) family, who held a special place for her in their hearts and many cousins.
In lieu of flowers the family ask that you make a donation to one or all of the following organizations of your choice; American Diabetic Association for both Juvenile and Adult-onset diabetes, The Kidney Foundation, specifically for PKD and CKD and research involving multiple kidneys, The American Lung and Heart Associations, American Brain Tumor Association in regard to Glioblastoma (GBM), to Howard University, Mayo Clinic for research for Intestinal Obstruction with hernia. As per her request Ruth's cremation is being handled by aCremation.com. A Celebration of Life will be held for family and close friends at a later date. Mom, I love and miss you terribly, Your Barbie: My Prayer; Lord of consolation, the pain of losing my mother is deep. She was so much to me in life and taught me so much. I thank you that when she was released from her earthly body, she was ushered into your presence. I thank you that Jesus rose from the dead and will return to resurrect those who died in faith. I commend my precious mother's soul to your continuing mercy and ask that you grant her everlasting peace. Amen.