Obituary: Retired Teacher, Kathleen (Carlson) Ruggles

Kathleen (Carlson) Ruggles, 74, of Vernon, beloved wife of Michael Ruggles, passed away on Thursday, October 20, 2011 after a six year battle with Primary Lateral Sclerosis. She was the daughter of the late Kenneth and Margaret (Goodson) Cormany of Bettendorf, IA.

She is survived by her husband Michael Ruggles, her twin daughters Kristin Hall and her husband Mark of Freehold, NJ, and Laurel White of Austin, TX, her brother Dr. Christopher Cormany and his wife Linda of Monona, WI, and her sister Linda Armbruster of Houston, TX. She was predeceased by her sister Cheryl Klienpeter of Los Angeles, CA. Kathy leaves six grandchildren: Ryan, Rachel, and Nicholas Hall and Tanner, Cameron, and Peyton White.

Kathy was born in Kansas City, MO, on March 23, 1937, and graduated with honors from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, IA, Class of 1955. She received her B.S. in Biology with honors from Beloit College in Wisconsin and gave the student commencement address. She worked for several years at the Argonne National Laboratories in Chicago before moving to CT. She got her Master’s in Education at Eastern Connecticut State College and taught fourth grade at Northeast School in Vernon for twenty-nine years. In many cases, Kathy taught two generations of students from the same family. Kathy was a model daughter, sister, mother, wife, friend, teacher, and citizen and was truly loved by all who came to know her.

In her retirement, she volunteered for service with WFSB Channel 3 “On Your Side” helping consumers with disputes with merchants and worked with Foodshare of Bloomfield in the fight against hunger. She was a lover of travel and adventure, an accomplished skier, formidable swimmer, and a knowledgeable student of karate. She loved flowers but hated gardening, was an accomplished artist, and home decorator of the first order. She will be missed greatly by her family and friends, but all know that the love she shared with us will sustain us until we meet again.

A memorial service will be held at Talcottville Congregational Church, 10 Elm Hill Rd,Vernon on Wednesday, October 26 at 11 AM. Friends and family may gather on Tuesday, October 25 from 4-8 p.m. at the Ladd-Turkington & Carmon Funeral Home, 551 Talcottville Road (Rt. 83), Vernon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Foodshare, 450 Woodland Avenue, Bloomfield, CT 06002.