Ruth Lois (Bladowski) Boylan

Ruth Lois (Bladowski) Boylan of Verona, PA, died December 14, 2017, after a brief and sudden illness.
Ruth spent most of her 99+ years in Ohio. She was born April 17, 1918, in Elyria, and grew up in Grafton. She attended secretarial school at Oberlin College after graduating high school. She married James C. Boylan of Elyria and in 1947 they moved to Shelby.
Ruth worked for several years, then became a homemaker when their daughter arrived. She approached the task like trying to run something small, like New York City. She had seemingly endless energy and was constantly in motion. Ruth was a talented seamstress, a great cook, a cleaning fanatic, a font of advice and wisdom, and a voracious reader. She always stepped up when someone needed help. She taught her daughter many skills including ice skating, painting walls and window trim, and creating “to do” lists. Learning how to sled down a gravel driveway with minimal slope to make it impassable to the average family car was a rare gift.
Ruth always supported her daughter, including sewing endless ballet costumes and dresses for choir concerts. She was a member of Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church and volunteered in the office at St. Mary’s Elementary School. Ruth was an assistant Girl Scout leader for several years and was an endless contributor to church/school bake sales and other events.
In 2002, Ruth moved to Pittsburgh to be closer to her daughter. Although it was a difficult decision to leave friends and neighbors, she focused on settling in. She made close friends with residents and staff at Seneca Hills Village in Verona and later at Seneca Manor, the assisted living facility. She belonged to St. Susanna Church in Penn Hills and attended regularly for several years.
Ruth also was a card-carrying member of the Penn Hills Library and worked hard to read her way through all of its mystery and action novels (while also being a major contributor to Barnes & Noble’s bottom line). Although she wasn’t successful, she made a valiant attempt.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Ella (Sudro) Bladowski of Grafton, her husband, Jim, and her sister and brother-in-law, Alice and Walter Schroeder of Elyria.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Barbara Boylan and Michael Del Cimmuto of Pittsburgh, as well as a number of nieces and nephews.
There will be no viewing. A memorial Mass will be held at 10 AM Monday, December 18, at St. Susanna Church in Penn Hills. Burial will be on her 100th birthday, April 17, 2018, at Most Pure Heart of Mary Cemetery in Shelby. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the William E. Anderson Library of Penn Hills, the UPMC Benevolent Care Fund or the charity of your choice.
Care is being provided by Soxman Funeral Home in Penn Hills, PA, and Turner Funeral Home in Shelby, OH.