Ruth Mae Trudo

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Ruth Trudo, our loving and devoted mother, on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at the age of 102.

Public viewing will be from 1:00 PM until 8:00 PM with the Rosary being prayed at 6:00 Pm Sunday, September 10, 2023, at Robert Massie Riverside chapel. Mass will be at 10:00 AM Monday, September 11, 2023, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Msgr. Larry Droll, officiating. Burial will follow at Calvary Catholic Cemetery under the direction of Robert Massie Funeral Home.

Mrs. Trudo was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Walter and Mayme Ross and moved to the Rio Grande Valley with her family at the age of ten.  These were the Depression years; times were hard, luxuries were few, and Ruth grew up learning how to do a lot with little.  She remembered doing homework by the light of a kerosene lantern, as not all the family's residences had electricity or indoor plumbing!  Three years after graduating from Edinburg High School at the age of 16, she married Frank Trudo on December 26, 1940 in Edinburg. Together, they journeyed through most of the 20th century and beyond. He preceded her in death on March 21, 1992.

Frank's Air Force career meant frequent moves, and their 7 children were born and attended school in Texas, Wyoming, Mississippi, Illinois, Alaska, England, and Virginia.  Ruth's creativity and ingenuity were often tested by dad's outgoing affability.  One of her often-recounted recollections was the time Frank brought home a co-worker for supper, completely unannounced, and she had only half a pound of hamburger and a little milk and bread for the entire family.  What else could she do but fall back on that staple of the military menu, SOS?  (Kids, ask your grandparents).  Life as a military wife was something less than glamorous; Ruth and Frank survived the Blizzard of '49 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in a tiny trailer with three small children, some canned soup, grit, and little else.  As she would often say when recounting the story, "You have no idea."

The family moved from San Antonio to San Angelo in 1966 on Frank's retirement from the Air Force.  As her remaining children left the nest over the next decade, Ruth never slowed down.  She founded Trudo's Religious Store in 1980 and, while running it from the house in the early years, provided home care for her mother-in-law, her mother, and her husband until the end of their lives.

A lifelong Catholic and member of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart parish since 1966, Ruth ensured her children were dressed and on time for church and Catholic school without fail.  After Frank was ordained as a deacon in 1976, Ruth supported him in every way, often attending conferences and helping with various projects.  Support continued in our adult years in the form of requested novenas and rosaries.  The door was always open to anyone in need.  Her priorities never wavered:  God first, then family.  "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith...".

Ruth's survivors include four sons, Joseph Trudo and wife Zahida, John Trudo and wife Ho Yon, David Trudo and wife Polly all of San Angelo, and James Trudo and wife Natalie of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee; two daughters, Patricia Fennell of San Angelo, and Kathy Denison of Oceanside, Oregon; two sisters, Betty Lou Hall and husband Jim of Herndon, Virginia, and Margaret Ann Greene of Tampa Florida; 26 grandchildren; 63 great grandchildren; and 15 great-great grandchildren. Ruth is preceded in death by a son, Robert Trudo; a brother, Donald Ross; a grandson, Michael Hammel; and a great grandson, Spencer Sullivan.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thank you to Gentiva Hospice and to Ruth's special caregivers, Darlene, Brandi, and Samantha, for their love and care.