- Date Of Birth: July 3, 1934
- Date Of Death: June 4, 2022
- State: Florida
Eleanor Patricia (Foley) Ruiz, 87 of Melbourne, Florida passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Surviving are her husband of 66 years, George, and their six children: Dr. Jorge Ruiz (Stacey) of Miami, FL, John Ruiz of Fort Myers, FL, Dr. Edward Ruiz of Frankfort, IL, Kathy Bergeron (Brian) of Frankfort, IL, Marianne Weyen (Dan) of Cashiers, NC, and Tom Ruiz (Kathy) of Naperville, IL. In addition, she leaves behind 17 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
Mom had a lot of nicknames. Ellie, of course was the most widely known, but Elbows, Goodie and The Lucky Baby are a few others not so well known. As the Depression defined the lives of so many in 1934 America, an unemployed Jack Foley and his 42 year old wife, Ella, learned they were going to have a third child – nearly a decade after their other two daughters. It was this very same day that Jack was offered a job, and the nickname, The Lucky Baby, was conceived.
Mom was born and raised in small-town Seymour, Connecticut. She was an avid reader, a serious student, a lover of God, cheerleader, lead actress in her high school play and Salutatorian of her graduating class. She had a loyal core of friends with whom she kept close to her heart for all of her life.
Mom left home for New Haven to attend nursing school where she was not only the Salutatorian but also swept off her feet by the handsome Mexican surgeon with whom she spent the next 7 decades. Inseparable, they built a life together in Flossmoor, Illinois, traveled to every one of the seven continents, brought 6 children into the world and for over 20 years worked alongside one another in medicine.
Our mom was selfless and a world class listener. She gifted her time generously, ears open, without judgement, even through the most annoying of teenage angsts. With her warm reassurance, you always knew that in the end, things would work out.
Wow, could our mother cook! We always marveled at how this Irish woman, who burned the first marital meal, became the best darn Mexican chef ever! And she accomplished this while wrangling a set of Irish twins, and yet another two sets of twins – 6 kids under the age of 8 at one time!
While Mom rarely entertained with a joke, she radiated with joy in the humorous antics around her. Her four boys and two girls rarely sat still and the Ruiz household famously abounded in practical jokes. Whether it be rubber band wars, dodging wrapping paper missiles at Christmas, or booby traps over doorways, Mom’s distinctive laughter was never in short supply.
Our mom never wanted for anything but….she never wanted anyTHING. She wanted us, her family, this big, loud, boisterous, rowdy group, to be alongside her whenever possible. She simply delighted in our foolishness, shenanigans and craziness, always wanting more. I only wish we could give her more.
