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March 30, 2021
~ Taken too Young, and too Quickly ~
Mary, 63 years old. Midj to those who knew her the longest.
Born to Donald and Phyllis, in Port Alberni.
Well loved by everyone she met, survived by her partner Garry, sons Evan and Adam, stepson Sheldon, daughters-in-law Ashley and Joy, grandchildren Madison, and Haiden and Dakine, and best friend Barbara.
Mary passed on March 30th, in the only place she ever called home, Port Alberni. With the symptoms of abdominal pain and a persistent cough, she was
admitted to hospital March 28th. Her condition worsened rapidly, and she was diagnosed with late-stage multi-organ cancer after a CT scan on March 30th and passed shortly thereafter.
There is no service planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the BC Cancer Foundation at http://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/goto/maryruel.
Midj grew up in the stamp river, a bare footed creeker if there ever was one. Her first love was her afghan dog, Brat.
She excelled in school and began work at MacMillan Bloedel two weeks after high-school graduation, at the age of 18, where she worked for 41 years. Spending time in almost every department, she made her presence known, not forcefully with a hammer, but quietly with a glance. She helped whomever she came in contact with, those who were new and those moving on.
Her children dreaded going to the grocery store with her because she could not make it more than an aisle without laughing with some friendly stranger from the mill. She retired at the age of 59 with hopes of traveling across Canada and spending time with her grandchildren. Never able to leave the mill behind she worked as a casual after retirement, for several years.
While most who knew her, loved her, those who love her most are her family. After losing her father at the age of 25 to cancer, she spoke to her mother every day. Eventually Nana moved into the basement suite where Mary could take care of her best.
Of her only marriage, to Albert, she had her two boys, Evan and Adam. She devoted her whole life to her children, and her mother, sparing barely a moment for herself, though she always found one night a week for bowling or dinner with friends.
After committing to being a single mother she found her partner of 30 years, Gary, and his son Sheldon. Together her new blended family went on many adventures camping and hoped to continue that into retirement. Sadly, she was taken far too early, never fully being able to settle into retirement.
All of Mary's travel and leisure plans with Garry were left unfulfilled after working as a casual directly after retirement and COVID having stolen our last year with her.
After becoming an empty nester and her mother had passed, Mary found her hobby at the casino, which was just a taste of her distant love for Las Vegas and Reno.
In recent years she found a renewed purpose with her last great love, her granddaughter Maddie. The bright spot in this lost year was being able to spend her final Christmas, her favorite time of year, witnessing her granddaughter's joy Christmas morning.
Ever the supportive co-worker, and loving partner and mother, she will be missed greatly. The shock of losing her so young and so quickly will leave an everlasting impression on all she touched.
If you do not have your own way to remember her, you can send a flower over stamp falls, her favorite place.


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