Mary Ruggiero

Mary (Drew) Ruggiero, 96, passed away peacefully on Feb. 28, 2019 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, Ohio.

Mary was born in Reading, England on Feb. 25, 1923 to Alice (Dean) and Tom Drew. She met John Ruggiero during WW2 while working in a shop that cleaned, pressed and altered soldiers’ uniforms. They married on Apr. 21, 1945 in Reading, England and settled in Gibsonburg, Ohio, where they shared 49 years of marriage.

Mary worked as a seamstress for 35 years at the S. E. Hyman Co. in Fremont, Ohio. She was a member of the Altar & Rosary Society at St. Michael’s Church in Gibsonburg and prayed the rosary nearly every day. She loved to travel to England to visit family and to Douglas Lake, Michigan, where she and John had a cottage for many years. She was known for her love of daffodils and knitting, and for her kindness and ability to bring a smile to everyone’s face.

Mary is survived by her children, Jacalyn (Frank) Blevins, John (Vikki) Ruggiero, David (Amy) Ruggiero and Jamie Ruggiero; and daughter-in-law, Cynthia Ruggiero. She enjoyed her 9 grandchildren, Tamie (Jason) Spears, Tracie Tibboles, Christy (Jim) Butson, Drew Ruggiero, Alex Ruggiero, Regina (Ryan) Brake, Mary-Jo Ruggiero, Lindsay (Timmy) Little and Gary Lee II, along with her 11 great-grandchildren, Madison, Brady and Logan Spears; Jessica, Claire and Evan Tibboles; Brock Burkey, Remington and Calleigh Butson; Mariah-Jayne Lee and Kolton Little. She was preceded in death by her husband, John; son, Danny Ruggiero; and daughter, Jayne Anne Lee.

Friends are invited to visit on Friday, Mar. 8, 2-4 & 6-8 p.m., at Herman-Veh Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Gibsonburg, where the rosary will be recited at 4 p.m.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Gibsonburg on Saturday, Mar. 9, at 10:30 a.m. with burial at St. Michael/St. Lawrence Cemetery in Gibsonburg.

A special thank you to Heartland of Perrysburg for their incredible care and kindness, and to her close friends, Nelda, Kathy and Gary. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Gibsonburg.