Ruth Thelma Betsworth

Betsworth, Ruth Thelma (nee Urquhart)

Thelma Ruth Betsworth (Urquhart) peacefully passed away on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the BGH Palliative Care Centre at the age of 88. Predeceased by both parents, all 8 siblings and her beloved husband Ron. Despite facing various cancers over her lifetime, she fought with unwavering courage and positivity till the end where she was surrounded by the love and warmth of her devoted daughters Brenda, Christine, Tammy, and Jennifer. She cherished the life she led and the time she spent with loved ones, considering herself enormously fortunate.

Ruth, born to Leonard and Grace Urquhart, spent her childhood on Henry Street in Prescott alongside her eight siblings: Eilleen (Claire) O’Connell, Jean-Mae (Bob) Merryman, Florence (Garfield) Hutton, Jack (Claire) Urquhart, Helen (Gilles) Chretien, Betty (Bill) Longo, Donald (Kathy) Urquhart, and Mike (Judy) Urquhart. Growing up in a family with eight siblings, Ruth faced the necessity of working hard to contribute. She began part-time work at a young age, taking on roles at both Lane’s Smoke Shop and the local Pharmacy. During her school years, Ruth excelled both as an athlete and a student. She held a competitive spirit she passed down to all her daughters and grandchildren. Education held immense importance for her, and she continuously motivated her daughters and grandchildren to strive for success and pursue their dreams.

In 1955, Ruth married the love of her life, Ron Betsworth, embarking on a lifelong journey of love and partnership. Together, building a home filled with warmth and laughter in Maynard. Their relationship epitomized the notion of opposites attract. Although he commanded the attention upon entering a room, it was Ruth who served as the bedrock of their life together. A small woman, she nonetheless provided a strong, stubborn, and solid foundation in the relationship. They enjoyed 65 blissful years together. Ron’s world revolved around his Thelma.

They would eventually be blessed with four daughters: Brenda Coon (Ed), Christine Betsworth, Tammy Laforty (Jack), and Jennifer Murdock (Colin). As a mother, Ruth strived to lead by example. Her desire to not only support her daughters but also instill the importance of hard work in the four young girls, motivated her to continue working until the age of 59, ultimately finishing her career as a pharmacist assistant. For Ruth, being a good mother meant prioritizing her children's happiness above her own, a principle her daughters still honor today. Her girls also learned the value of shared communal spaces, to always buy a second pair of scissors, and how to hide brussel sprouts to get out from the dinner table.

Together with Ron, Ruth embarked on vacations with lifelong friends to destinations such as Ireland/Scotland, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and across Canada. In the past, they would pack up their “Scooby Doo” Van and jam in as a family on a road trip to their cherished annual retreat in Myrtle Beach. They continued to return for many years, savoring their daily "Happy Hours" with family and friends.

As time progressed, Ruth became the beloved Grandmother of Amanda Sorfleet (Patrick), Alex Coon (Elyse), Callahan Laforty (Farah), Claudia Laforty, Quinn Murdock, Abby Murdock and Great Grandmother to Willow Sorfleet. All of whom grew up with Sunday night family dinners as a constant and holidays ensuring Ruth was the one behind the mashed potatoes. What mattered to Ruth was having everyone together. She delighted in baking pies, cupcakes, and her famous chocolate mayonnaise cake for her grandkids. If anyone so much as mentioned the word "apple," they could expect a fresh apple pie within 1-2 business days. Moreover, she took the greatest pride in passing down her recipes, dedicating days to teaching her great-granddaughter Willow how to make jam.

At the heart of Ruth was her unwavering faith in the power of literature to illuminate the mind and nourish the soul. Ruth found solace and joy in the pages of her favourite books, immersing herself in worlds of wonder and imagination. The treasured friendship she shared with Sandra Kingston ensured that her bookshelves were always brimming with literary gems. Her grandchildren were convinced she was a member of some type of “book mafia.” She would plow through them during late-night sessions, deriving equal pleasure from then sharing them the next day with friends, family, and neighbors, thus ensuring that this love of reading, if not genetic, would pass on to the next generations.

Apart from her love for literature, Ruth found immense joy in life's simple pleasures, dearly loving a good card game over the years. Beginning with a few lifelong couple friends in their dining room in Maynard, crowded around games of Poker and Euchre, this tradition eventually extended to evenings spent at the Grandview. This fondness for cards evolved into a love of bridge amongst her Prescott friends. Most recently, she cherished the company of four special ladies—Joyce, Dianne, Angie, and Cecile—on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where they shared many laughs and delved into world issues while playing Hand and Foot. In all these memories, she treasured the laughter, camaraderie, and shared moments of connection that these moments afforded her. She took great joy in hosting and bringing about the happiness of others around her.

In the end, Ruth will be remembered by her grandchildren as being someone small but mighty, resilient yet soft, and never, never someone to be underestimated. Most importantly, the kind of person who, whenever she gave you something, would always remind you to "make sure to use it on something for yourself. “Her own happiness stemmed from the joy of those around her.

Our mother’s final words were “I had a wonderful life”. In honoring her memory, the family will be celebrating her profound impact privately at a later date.

Ruth would love any and all donations to be directed to the Prescott Public Library. In keeping with Ruth's wishes there will be no visitation or service. Arrangements are entrusted to the MACKAY Funeral Home, Prescott.