Obituary of Ruth F Gray

Ruth F. Gray, a beloved wife, mother, Nona, sister, and aunt, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, November 24, 2022.  She was 93 years old.  Ruth was born in Somerville.  She was one of six children born to Italian immigrants; Ambrogio and Maria Capobianco  Abbondante.  She was a graduate of Somerville High School.  She married her husband Robert in 1948 and they settled in Burlington in 1956 where they raised their four children.  She was a petite woman but a woman of great strength and kindness.  She worked as a salesperson in the jewelry department of Service Merchandise in Burlington for over 20 years.   If you were to ask Ruth what her career was, she would say homemaker.  She maintained a meticulous home and knitted hundreds of mittens and blankets for all.  In her mind, every guest who visited needed a warm meal or a cup of coffee with a slice of Pepperidge Farm cake.   Dinners were always warm, ready, and on the table for when Bob came home from work.  She loved family gatherings. Weekends were for  visits with her brother and sisters in the backyard. Saturday nights were for card games with her brother Cos and Sister-In-Law Ruth. Christmas Eve celebration started as an open house with friends, neighbors, and family. The tradition still going strong for over 50 years.

Family summer vacations were spent at Winoma Manor on Lake Winnipesaukee and spent special occasions with her brother and sister-in-law in Ogunquit.  She was easy going, calm, super caring, and a great mother, Aunt, Nona, and mother-in-law to her family.  Everyone called her “Nona”.  Her eight grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren always knew that her freezer was filled with ice cream and “the little birdy” had chocolates on her table.  She could go with the flow, loved a good joke as could be seen by her involvement in the annual Warrino Christmas cards.  She believed a daily 4-oz glass of port wine was the key to life.  She was the matriarch of her family and was so proud of them all for their special gifts and talents.  She will be missed, but her memory and spirit will always bring a smile to those she loved.

Ruth was the beloved wife of the late Robert W. Gray.  She was the proud mother and mother-in-law of Ken Gray & his wife Michele of Stowe, Bill Gray & his wife Cheryl of Bradford, Dan Gray & his wife Salvina of Stoneham, and Joann Warrino & her husband Joe of Burlington.  She was the sister of Rose Eromin of Arlington, the late Aurelia Dovidio, Anna Magliozzi, Lorenzina Romano, and Cosmo Abbondante.  She was Nona to Nicole O’Connor, Matt, Adam, Shannon, & Evan Gray, Ashley Furka, Michael and Kate Warrino.  She was the Great Nona of Hailey, Madison, Slater, Bode, Liam, Jadyn, Caleb, Joshua, Ryan, Owen, Brooke, Gavin, Emmiline, Shay, and Khloe.  She also leaves her fury friend and lunch companion, Buddy.

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington on Monday, November 28 from 4-7pm. Funeral from the Sullivan Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 29 at 9am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret’s Church in St. Veronica’s Parish, www.stveronicama.org, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10am. Services will conclude with a burial in Pine Haven Cemetery in Burlington. 

Memorials in Ruth’s name may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org., 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105.

For the online guestbook, directions, and video tribute, see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net.