Obituary of Patricia Rose Ruddock
Patricia Rose (Gill) Ruddock, 76, of Montville, NJ, loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and teacher, passed away on Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Patricia was born in Englewood, NJ and was the first child of Francis and Marie (Muller) Gill. She spent her childhood years in the Coytesville neighborhood of Fort Lee, NJ with her brother, three sisters and her dog, Lady. In 1962, Patricia met her husband, Bernard, at St. Cecilia High School and they married in 1968. Shortly after marrying, the two spent the first several years of their marriage on Kwajalein Atoll, one of the Marshall Islands, where they continued to build the life-long friendships for which they were famous.
When they returned to NJ from abroad, they first settled in Long Valley and eventually in Montville, where they designed their own home in the beautiful community of Lake Valhalla. Patricia was a long-time member of the Lake Valhalla Club spending many summers there with her children and sharing laughter with neighborhood friends.
Patricia graduated from William Paterson University in 1967 and had a long career as a mathematics teacher in New Jersey. She retired from Parsippany Hills High School in 1995. She gave math tutoring lessons to many neighborhood children in Lake Valhalla over the years.
She enjoyed shopping, fashion, cooking, baking, gardening, bicycling, and gift-giving. Patricia was the eternal hostess, welcoming guests at the family’s NJ Shore house, known as the Ros Cois Farraige, in Avon-by-the Sea. She loved spending hours on the wrap-around Victorian porch enjoying the ocean breeze.
Patricia had a fighting spirit and was tough as nails. In the later years of her life, she beat cancer twice and recovered from many surgeries, all the time maintaining a smile and a sense of humor.
Patricia was a kind and giving soul and will be very missed by her family and friends. She is survived by her beloved husband and partner of 60 years, Bernard Ruddock; her son, Bernard (Jason) Ruddock and his partner Michelle; her daughter, Jennifer Ruddock; and her grandson, Jack How, who will miss her hugs, brownies and famous mac ‘n cheese. She is also survived by her sisters, Sharon, Janice and Linda and her brother, Frank; as well as many life-long cherished friends.
Visitation will be Thursday, May 19th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Codey & Mackey Funeral Home in Boonton. A Mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 20th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Pius X R.C. Church in Montville. Interment will be private.
To view the Mass at St. Pius X Church, please use this Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klgTdN3hxUE
Repast for family and friends to be held at Rails Steakhouse Rafters Lounge in Towaco immediately following the Mass. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made in Patricia’s name to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at www.jdrf.org.