Ruth Ellen Burton
April 7, 1941 - September 16, 2026
It is with great sadness that the family share the news of the passing of Ruth Ellen Burton on Thursday September 16th, 2026 at 9:07 pm.
Ruth was born in Kirkland Lake, ON on April 7, 1941, at Kirkland Lake District Hospital, across from the former KLCVI, to parents Margaret Isabel Carhart (Ball) and Raymond John Carhart. Ruth was predeceased by her parents, husband (Joseph William Burton), and brother (John Douglas Carhart). She is survived by her sons Brian Campbell (Naomi) and Mark Little (Sue), sister-in-law Kathy Carhart, niece Kari Lyn Carhart (Andrea), nephew Mark Carhart (Kristen), grandchildren Tamara (Nick), Jeni, Tori, Luke, Jake, and Willa Mac. She will be missed by her partner Lou Pezzello and his daughters Valerie, Daryl, and Nadelle and many close friends she considered family.
Ruth spent her youth in the north in Kirkland Lake. Brownies and Girl Guides were a huge part of her life growing up. She belonged to the local figure skating club, and following in the footsteps of her father and brother, the curling club. Ruth left the north to begin her career as an adult with Air Canada, down in Toronto. Her strong work ethic, dynamic, friendly, and sparkling personality were highly recognized by Air Canada through her roles and letters of acknowledgement of a job very well done. Not long after joining Air Canada, she was assigned to Las Vegas to oversee the first charter flight between Toronto and Las Vegas. Within days of being there, she met Joseph “Joe” Burton wandering through a casino. Shortly after, they were happily married on Valentine’s Day 1970.
Ruth and Joe shared a life of travel together (after some coercion into trying his first cruise) cruising all over the world. The shortest being a 4 day, the longest 96 days. They split their time between cruising, Sarnia, and Florida, where plenty of lifelong friendships started, laughs were had, and memories made. Sadly in 2016, Joe passed away and Ruth was supported by her family and friends. Ruth’s love of being social and cruising continued over the years - including a punk rock cruise and many others. On one cruise in particular, a Norwalk virus caused the cruise to be cut short. Thankfully Ruth had met a friend, Lou and together they spent the last 8 years building even more memories and friendships. Lou and Ruth spent their time cruising, at Lou’s Florida home and in Sarnia. In her downtime, Ruth spent many hours involved with local music festivals - The Lambton County Music Festival, Provincial Music Festival, and the Festival of Stars.
Ruth lived life to the fullest and will always be remembered for her beautiful smile, sparkling blue eyes, and for her love of helping people around her no matter what the circumstances may be. Her strong spirit and determination in all things in life made her who she was. That spirit was well balanced out by her ability to make people feel like they were the most important person in the room. She was a naturally warm person to be around and could be found knitting or crocheting hats, mitts and other items for folks to recognize their needs or special occasions. We acknowledge and appreciate the compassionate care and the sense of family made through the relationships built during Ruth’s time in Rosewood and at Bluewater Health.
Cremation has taken place and in consideration of Ruth’s wishes, a small private family gathering will be organized at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to any of the following: Bluewater Health - Palliative Care Unit or Rehab Unit or the Canadian Cancer Society Wheels of Hope Program.