Anna Ruth Hanlon
March 11, 1932 – December 06, 2018
Anna Ruth Hanlon, born on March 11, 1932 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, passed away at 86 on December 6, 2018 in Dartmouth at the Ocean View Continuing Care Centre where she was cared for respectfully and lovingly as the effects of Alzheimer’s disease took hold of her.
Anna Ruth grew up in Dartmouth with her mother Annie (Lethbridge), father Thomas Courtney, sister, Frances MacKinnon, half-sister Margaret Faulkner and half-brother Jack Courtney. She was predeceased by her son David, her former husband Robert (Bob) Hanlon and Dave Walker, her close friend and travel partner of more than 40 years. She is survived by 8 of her children, Elaine (David MacLean), Frances (Richard Gonsalves), Teresa (Dennie Babineau), Charles (Marylou), Christine (Dave Sweet), Michael (Sharon), Patrick (Annie), and Timothy. Her 15 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren loved spending time with her and hearing about her worldly adventures and her time in Iqaluit.
Anna Ruth spent 20 busy years raising her large family on Rose St. in Dartmouth. Many friends of the family will remember the shenanigans of the nine children running around the neighborhood, the schoolyards and parishes of old Dartmouth. As her kids grew up and activities such as baking bread, sewing Halloween costumes and making Christmas pajamas were winding down, she began to focus on a career in the Federal Government. She was a relentless worker and didn’t give up until she passed the courses required for a position with Customs and Excise Canada. In the late ’70’s, she transferred to Ottawa, as a Customs Officer.
When she moved she took her youngest son Timothy to start a new life in Ottawa. After Timothy graduated, she moved again with her job, to Iqaluit, where she lived for just over 2 years. While there she volunteered as a firefighter and due to her ability to handle a standard transmission, she was responsible for driving the fire truck. Upon her return to Ottawa, she wrote about her experiences in a book Working In the Cold.
Anna Ruth loved reading about travel and other cultures and would speak on those topics at Beta Sigma Phi meetings where she was a proud member for 55 years. She was fascinated by Easter Island after reading Thor Heyerdahl’s book, called the Kon-Tiki Expedition and eventually traveled to Easter Island to see the Moai. Similarly, her reading of Pearl S. Buck’s book, The Good Earth, inspired her to travel to China. In addition to these two countries, she visited many others including the British Isles, Chile, Brazil, Italy, Tanzania, Argentina, and the Bahamas. At the age of 72, she hiked into the Grand Canyon lying about her age to do it. She even managed to convince our father to stuff all 9 children, ages 3 to 16, into a station wagon to travel to Expo ’67 in Montreal to broaden our horizons.
Exercise was a passion for Anna Ruth. From swimming in Banook Lake and Three Fathom Harbor, to biking in Ottawa, to running 10K races annually in Ottawa, Boston and the Dartmouth Natal Day into her 80s. Sometimes she would even swim, bike and walk all in one day.
Five years ago Anna Ruth returned to Dartmouth to spend the remainder of her life around her family and the familiar sites and sounds of her childhood, in particular the ships that she watched from her condo on the harbour in Dartmouth.
Mom, Grandma and GG Ruth will always be remembered as an independent, adventurous woman who lived with her massive polar bear rug!
Cremation has taken place. A private internment and celebration of her life will take place in early summer when her whole family can gather. The family hopes that anyone wanting to honour her life will donate to research and further study to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease at alzheimer.ca/en/Home/Get-involved/Ways-to-donate.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Dartmouth Funeral Home, 29 Queen Street, Dartmouth. Online condolences by visiting www.dartmouthfuneralhome.ca
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Anna Ruth Hanlon March 11 1932 December 06 2018..
Décès pour la Ville: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia
