Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Nouveau-Brunswick for funeral details
Ruth Boswell Schiller, CM, DMus. (h.c.) 1931-2023
Canada has lost one of its most precious
Ambassadors of Song. It is with profound sadness that the
family of Ruth Schiller must relay that their beloved mother,
grandmother, choral conductor, and music
educator passed away Monday, February 27, at the
age of 91 in Moncton, NB. Ruth was the conductor of the world-renowned
Hillsborough Girls Choir, which she led until the age of 80.
Ruth Boswell Schiller was born in 1931 in Victoria,
PEI, one of seven brothers and sisters. Her passion for
music education was instilled by her parents.
Her mother, Ruth MacGregor Boswell
was one of the first to teach music in
Island schools and her gentle father,
Keith, a veteran of both World Wars, was an Ayrshire cattle
farmer who was inducted into the Agricultural
Hall of Fame (1973) .
Ruth studied
music at Mount Allison University and in 1953, met her beloved
husband John (deceased
2001). Ruth is survived by her three
loving daughters, Caroline (Laun
Shoemaker) , Leanne (Michael Delaney) ,
and Heidi (Jack Veasey) ; her four grandchildren:
Kieran and Emma Delaney, Sophie Shoemaker, and Wil Veasey; and the
many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends whose lives she touched.
Ruth’s two loves were family and music. Nothing
could produce a tear in the Schiller household quite like a
beautiful piece of music or a beloved
family photograph. Her love for her family was
unconditional. Ruth was a passionate support to her children and
grandchildren and was a mentor to the many children whose lives she
touched.
The Hillsborough Girls
Choir , which were featured in the
documentaries, Eisteddfod: Journey to the Land of Song (1983) and
Sweet Nightingale (1990) , was founded
by Ruth in 1979, when she returned
from teaching in Montreal schools to Hillsborough, NB. The choir,
known for its joyous communication and clear, bell-like tone, went on
to receive many awards and accolades within Canada and abroad.
Festivals included the National Eisteddfod, Wales (1983, 1987) and XVI
International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna (1988).
Above all things, Ruth believed in the essential value of
music in the lives of every child. In 1992, Ruth became a Member of
the Order of Canada www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-4017
and received an Honorary Doctor of Music (DMus)
from Mount Allison University (1997).
Over her 45-year teaching career, Ruth will
forever be remembered as a champion of the healing powers of singing,
and its ability to enrich every child’s life regardless of
their calling: “Music is important…because it will
help (children) to recognize the beauty around
them, be human and sensitive, and most of all be closer to the
infinite power beyond this world.” – Ruth Boswell
Schiller
The family will be receiving relatives and friends at St.
Paul’s United Church, 404 Cleveland Ave. Riverview, NB on Saturday,
March 18, 2023 from 1:00pm to 2:45pm; with a Celebration of Ruth’s
Life at 3:00pm from St. Paul’s United Church with Rev. Steve Berube
officiating.
In lieu of flowers, we are accepting donations to The Ruth
Boswell Schiller Music Education Fund.
To honour her 45 years of dedicated service to music
education in New Brunswick, The Ruth Boswell Schiller Music Education
Fund has been established. Ruth believed in the essential value of
music in the lives of every child, and the fund will be used to
promote music education in the Anglophone East School
District.
“We teach children music because it connects them to
something greater than themselves, something that makes us more
human.” – Ruth Boswell Schiller
School Cash Online donations can be made using the following
URL link:
AngloEast.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/25742/30/False/True
Cheque donations can be made payable to the Minister of
Finance (memo: The Ruth Boswell Schiller Music Education Fund) and be
sent to the following address:
Anglophone East School District
1077 St. George
Blvd.
Moncton, NB E1E 4C9
Arrangements have been entrusted to Tuttle Brothers Riverview
Funeral Home 214 Pine Glen Rd. Riverview, NB (506) 857-9544.
Online condolences can be made
at www.tuttlefuneralhome.ca
1931 2023
Death notice for the town of: Riverview, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick
death notice Ruth Boswell Schiller CM DMus hc 1931 2023
obituaries notice Ruth Boswell Schiller CM DMus hc 1931 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Ruth Boswell Schiller CM DMus hc 1931 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
