Ruth B. Hanley

The last book was read. The last trip was a warm memory. The last bits of wisdom remained in the minds and hearts of children and grandchildren. And on June 2, 2022, the warm, compassionate soul of Ruth Broghan Hanley, 91, left this earth to join her Father in heaven. She was a strong, kind, caring woman, and she will be sorely missed.

She was born on Oct. 31, 1930, in Toledo, Ohio, and she spent her life there. She graduated from DeVilbiss High School in 1948 and received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Toledo, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She taught business at Perrysburg High School for two years before embarking on what would become her life’s work and legacy: her family.

She met her husband, Richard, in high-school English class, when they were 16, and they married in 1952. The first of their seven children was born two years later. As children of the Great Depression, Ruth and Dick were determined to give their family a good life. They were living examples of what sacrifice and hard work could accomplish.

To Dick, Ruth was always a true partner, always a sounding board, always sharing the important decisions. She was the backbone of a family that grew to include 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Though scattered across the country, they never stopped turning to her to share the details of their lives. She rejoiced in the good news and commiserated when times were tough. She spoke her mind and didn’t sugarcoat her opinions. She passed on her strong sense of what was right and wrong. “That’s not how we do it in our family,” she often told her kids. She had a positive, no-nonsense attitude and a determination that anything wrong could be made right. She taught her children to be resilient and to do the right thing even if no one was watching.

She was a lifelong reader, and she remembered everything, from the names of her children’s grade-school classmates to the details of every trip she and Dick ever took. She was a stay-at-home mom during an era of stay-at-home moms, but she sometimes surprised: She became the manager of a fried-chicken restaurant when she was 40. As a teenager, she learned to fly an airplane before she got her driver’s license.

Ruth and Dick ensured a lifetime of memories by establishing family traditions that included annual trips to Cedar Point, Oak Openings and the Toledo Zoo. And when grandchildren came along, Ruth and Dick generously paid for family cruises as well as trips to Disney World and the traditional summer gatherings at Capon Springs, W.Va. While she was always grateful for her blessings, Ruth was most thankful for the closeness that her family continues to share. She was never happier than when she was surrounded by family during gatherings at home in Toledo or at a second home she and Dick built on Lake Erie.

Ruth and Dick continued to travel into their 80s. They visited Hong Kong, Austria, Ireland, Greece and many other countries, often accompanied by one or more of their children. They met Pope John Paul II twice during private audiences in Rome and finally achieved a lifelong dream of visiting the Holy Land in 2011. They were together for 74 years. He was there for her during two types of cancer. She was there for him as he struggled with Alzheimer’s during the last years of his life. She lovingly cared for him till the end, often patting his arm to remind him she was with him. He died in 2020, one week before their 68th wedding anniversary.

A faithful Catholic, Ruth was a longtime member of Christ the King Catholic Church. She is survived by her children: Ruth Hanley (Jeff Seever) of Baltimore, Ohio; Marcia (John) Myers of Marion, IA; Karen Connors (Alan Rehmar) of Columbus, Ohio; Sarah (Tim) Croak of Toledo; Rick (Amy) Hanley of Summit, N.J.; and Susan (Shawn) Rooney of Toledo. In addition to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she is survived by a sister, Maeva Sieja, of Maumee, Ohio. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ruth and Joseph Broghan, and a newborn son.

A private funeral Mass for Ruth will be held at 10:30 a.m. on June 27, 2022, at Christ the King Church. To view a live stream of the Mass, go to here https://venue.streamspot.com/event/MzI0OTMwMw . Donations in her memory may be made to the Richard and Ruth Hanley Scholarship for Mercy College through the Mercy Health Foundation, 2525 Cherry St., Toledo, Ohio 43608 , or to a charity of your choice. To leave a special message for Ruth’s family, please visit walkerfuneralhomes.com .