We can learn a lot from the life of Richard “Dick” Ruth, a self-proclaimed “weak evangelizer of Jesus Christ.”
Although Richard “Dick” Ruth died on August 20, after a century of life, his obituary has been in the hearts and minds of countless Catholics.
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Written by himself, it was a work in progress during the latter part of his life, as he worked to make it more perfect: embodying his wit and humor, his devotion to God and the unborn, his love of friends and family.
Dick begins by pointing out a truth that many take time to discover:
“Dick’s soul was not shot straight to Heaven like everyone else’s, but instead made a detour to Purgatory, where it will remain until it is purified enough to present itself before its fully perfect Creator,” he wrote.
Not having had the opportunity to meet this lovely soul who exemplified so much love for others in an obituary that has now gone viral, one can only assume upon reading it that she had many friends. Marriage came much later in Dick’s life, and he spent his 65th birthday celebrating his wedding with his wife Dorothy, whom he admired for many reasons, including:
“Dick had a lot of self-respect after realizing that his wife Dorothy had waited 50 years for that perfect man to come along and settled for him,” he shared.
Dick, “who was influenced by the well-kept graves he saw in the cemeteries of Germany,” devoted much of his time to a corporal work of mercy to which Catholics devote the entire month of November: praying for the dead. Working with soil around the headstones of her buried loved ones, “she strove for years to keep the graves of her beloved dead well adorned with tulips in spring and summer flowers during the rest of the growing season.”
Little is said about what the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, resident did for a living, but he does lament the fact that he “failed miserably in his youthful dream of filling his ‘uncle’ Babe Ruth’s baseball cleats.” “.
The man who lived to be 100 knew well that material things don’t matter, and he chose to drive “big used cars until they finally broke down and he bought a new one.” He was “famous for his German austerity (or if you prefer, his Teutonic avarice). Not because of the money I hoarded, but because of the things I saved.”
Instead, he donated his money to important things, including his Church.
“In fact, Dick was one of the few Catholics who helped tithe and, in later years, sometimes offered it twice,” he noted.
When he was not tending the green cemetery gardens, he worked in the vineyard in hopes of bringing others closer to Jesus. Dick describes himself as a “self-proclaimed defender of the faith.”
“Faithful and active member of the Christianity Cursillo Movement since 1976. Auxiliary of the Legion of Mary. “Strong opponent of abortion and pornography,” he described himself.
He had such a burning aversion to sex and violence that he barely watched television. In a family video posted alongside her obituary, she just turned on the TV to pray the Rosary with our beloved founder, Mother Angelica, on EWTN.
He was also strictly against smoking and “was quick to point out that he lived longer than many of his smoking contemporaries.”
His love for life and the unborn truly took shape in 1979, when he co-founded and became a “faithful member of the St. Benedict pro-life prayer group.” He also mentions that he was an “inactive, credentialed member of the Knights of Columbus, like so many of his brother Knights.”
Dick, who called himself “a weak evangelizer of Jesus Christ,” also had a true love of spiritual music, being “a faithful member of St. Benedict’s Choir from 1959 until 1995, when he became too old to ‘measure up’.” .
“He is best known for his heartfelt rendition of ‘Danny Boy’, which he plans to sing at his own funeral, even though his voice has deteriorated. He considers himself one of the 20 best singers in the parish of San Benito, an opinion that almost no one shares,” he stated.
In a time when the elderly are often overlooked, “Dick was an eccentric and countercultural person. He was not interested in what the culture was interested in,” very timely wisdom in these times when many wars are waged against family, God, and our many fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression.
And in an extremely toxic digital age, where faces look down at a device rather than catching the attention of a passerby, Dick was more interested in meeting other people and being charitable. In a video tribute to his family, he commented on the sad fact that “no one stops to talk anymore.”
Dick had, above all, one primary interest: “Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church (despite its many shortcomings), and the Holy Scriptures.” He also had a real passion for poetry and psalms, which he recited and knew by heart.
A true Catholic gentleman, Dick left humor in the hearts of his loved ones with his obituary, including these funny words:
“Those who see my mortal remains, know this: I really wasn’t that handsome when I was alive. “This shows that Bill Harris and his team know how to make a silk bag out of a pig’s ear,” he joked.
As his family and friends gather this weekend to bury this beloved man who has left an impact on thousands of people, let us keep Dick in our thoughts and prayers. Perhaps we can offer a Rosary for him and, in true Dick style, perhaps pray it alongside Mother Angelica.
May we all carry his spirit as we move into autumn, remembering the dead in All Souls Month. And may we find time to visit our loved ones and leave blooming flowers, fresh footprints in the grass and offer prayers and songs high in heaven, where all the angels and saints rejoice for a life well lived.
Dear Dick will be buried in the mausoleum of St. Joseph’s Cemetery “under the mosaic of St. Joseph, the patron saint of a happy death, and under whose watchful protection his remains will lie until the day of final judgment.”
“In lieu of flowers, Dick asks that all of his smoking friends (even if they are few) quit smoking for a day in his memory,” he concluded.
May he rest in eternal peace.
Editor’s Note: This article is a translation of a blog post by Alyssa Murphy, editor-in-chief of digital assets at the National Catholic Register. The opinions expressed in this article correspond exclusively to its author.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in National Catholic Register.
Alyssa Murphy
Alyssa Murphy is the executive editor of digital assets at the National Catholic Register. He began his career on the airwaves in San Francisco and has worked in all facets of media. Alyssa enjoys writing and covering stories that inspire and uplift.