Obituary of Catherine Ruth Boruck

Catherine Ruth Boruck passed away in her home on June 15, 2019, at the age of 95. She was born on February 5, 1924 in Burnaby, British Columbia, the second of four children born to her parents Leonard and Jennie Love. She was married to her husband, Fred Boruck, for 55 years until his passing in 1998. Ruth and Fred grew up in the same neighborhood as kids, and Fred was a close friend of Ruth’s older brother Bob. Ruth often spoke of childhood summers spent outside swimming in lakes, throwing dances with her friends, and her school days. World War II began when Ruth was just 15 years old, and she graduated high school at the age of 16. When the boys went away to war, Fred and Bob were among them. As a soldier, Fred asked Ruth to marry him, and they were married on June 26, 1943, when Fred was home on leave. (Bob went AWOL to be the best man at the wedding and ended up in jail for it!) Ruth had hopes of becoming a nurse, but when she married, she became ineligible for the training, so she took work at the customs house instead, renting a room from her parents during the war to help them out. Fred returned from the war in 1945. In September of 1949, Fred moved to Portland to join a food brokerage. Ruth followed via train in January of 1950. Ruth gave birth to her three sons in Portland, managing her home and maintaining a rich social life. She made many lifelong friends and was involved at their church, Gethsemane Lutheran. Throughout her life, Ruth also gave her time and energy to causes she cared about: she founded the Oregon Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, joined an oversight committee for nursing homes and senior care, and was an activist for the Highway 26 Eastside extension. Ruth and Fred often opened their home to people who needed a soft place to land, sharing their house and faith with each one, counting them all as friends. They loved encouraging people to be the best they could be and to dream big dreams. As their boys grew older, Fred and Ruth enjoyed visiting family and spending time working at places like the Christian Renewal Center in Silverton. They were always in pursuit of a project, which eventually led them to Northwest Medical Teams where they worked in procurement, helping obtain supplies and resources to send as emergency aid. Ruth was a self -proclaimed “Pushy Old Broad” and wasn’t ashamed of it. In 2005, she worked to coordinate material going to Biloxi, MS after Hurricane Katrina. Later, when Ruth learned the realities of human trafficking, she joined in the efforts of Compassion First, an organization that operates homes in Indonesia that offer healing and restoration for victims of child sex trafficking. The first home built there was named Ruth’s House in her honor, and the ministry is still growing today.e her time and energy to causes she cared about: she founded the Oregon Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, joined an oversight committee for nursing homes and senior care, and was an activist for the Highway 26 Eastside extension. Ruth and Fred often opened their home to people who needed a soft place to land, sharing their house and faith with each one, counting them all as friends. They loved encouraging people to be the best they could be and to dream big dreams. Throughout her life, Ruth loved art and enjoyed taking on creative projects. Even in her final months, she found ways to combine her creativity and her desire to help people by knitting blankets for women and children who needed extra love and attention. She was preceded in death by her husband Fred and her two brothers, Robert Love and Gordon Love. She is survived by her sister, Alice Buckle, and her three sons, Carl Boruck, Alan Boruck, and Paul Boruck. She is also survived by four granddaughters, Amy Soltys, Nicole Clements, Laurel Boruck, and Aubrey Boruck-Fried, as well as five great-grandchildren, Clara, Lillian, and Henry Soltys, and Molly and Paige Clements. A service will be held at Colossae Church in Tigard (12244 SW Garden Place, Tigard, OR 97223) on July 20, 2019, at 2pm.