Vina "Kay" Kathleen (Hurst) Ruddell

Vina Kathleen (Kay) Ruddell (Hurst) October 10/1925 – September 18/2025 It is with great sadness that the family of Kathleen Ruddell announce her passing with her family at her bed side. Kay was born to parents Herbert Henry Hurst and Margaret Jean Hurst (Simpson) and was one of five siblings Dorothy (Harold), Jack (Helen), Marguerite (Roy) and Kenneth. Kay grew up and went to school in the farming community of Portia, Manitoba / school district of Birdina and treasured her memories of the people there. On June 21,1946 she married George (Alvin) Ruddell, and they celebrated 71 years together before his passing. They farmed in the Alonsa, Manitoba community for the first five years of their marriage and then moved to Minnedosa, Manitoba where she was a homemaker, taught sewing and knitting to the school children, worked at the local bakery, the local pharmacy and finally the ladies fashion house. Kay enjoyed many hobbies including keeping her yard full for bright colored flowers, a lawn that was pristine and a large vegetable garden. She sewed, knitted, loved to cook and loved to travel in their motorhome to new places especially Alaska. Kay was an avid walker and cross-country skier and liked to participate in the coffee group after completing the beach road walk in the mornings. In her later years she spent many hours doing jigsaw puzzles, adult coloring and read several books per month. She was a quiet person who valued her alone time but also was fun loving and liked to join in with her valued friends. She was very supportive and dedicated to her family but was possibly even more delighted and adoring with her grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren and the family pets. She loved to be part of their lives. She looked after her husband for many years during his illness learning how to do many hands-on nursing practices. Later in life they moved from their longtime stone house on Minnedosa main street to Kin House and then to Stewart House apartment building until they needed more care and moved to Winnipeg to be near family. They resided in Cathedrale Manor assisted living until she lost her husband in 2017 and moved with her daughter to Calgary in 2020 where she was able to be much closer to all her family and moved to Father La Combe nursing home in 2021 where she delighted in seeing her family every week so she could offer them cookies and snacks that she made sure she always had on hand for their visits. She was three weeks away from her 100th birthday when she passed but 99.9 years is still a remarkable achievement we celebrate for her. She leaves a wonderful legacy to be carried on in her name by her family who miss her dearly.

Kay was predeceased by: - Her Parents - Her twins leaving us at birth - All her siblings and all her husband’s siblings - Several nieces, nephews and many close friends

Left to mourn and to celebrate Kay’s life are: - Her children: son Roland (Dianne), daughter Audrey - Her four grandsons: Christopher (Christie), Blair, Ryan (Nova), Scott (Melissa) - Her four great grandchildren: Victoria (Paul), Nicholas, Honor, Lennox - Her two great great grandchildren: Connor and Locke. - Several nieces, nephews and many close friends.

A family funeral has taken place, and Kay will be laid to rest with her husband in Minnedosa Cemetery later. In lieu of flowers a donation could be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Manitoba or the Manitoba Lung Association. Special thanks to Nathan White of the White's Funeral Home - Minnedosa and to McInnis & Holloway Funeral home in Calgary.

You have had success in life if: You have lived decently, laughed frequently and loved a lot, Won the respect of clever men and the love of children; Filled out your place and accomplished your tasks; If you have left the world a better place than you found it…….. If you always appreciated the beauty of nature and also said so, If you saw the best in other people and always did your best. - Robert Louis Stevenson

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Vina "Kay" Kathleen (Hurst) Ruddell, please visit our floral store.