Ruth Homan

Ruth Marie Homan, 84, of Longmont passed away peacefully on October 10 th , 2024. She was born on February 24 th , 1940, in Cincinnati, OH to the late Edward and Mary (Engeln) Homan.

Ruth spent her childhood on the banks of the Ohio River. As an only child, she made many friends in her neighborhood and spent her formative years climbing trees, playing baseball, swimming in the community pool and swinging on barge ropes from trees out over the river. Ruth began to learn to play the piano and organ in the 3 rd grade, which eventually landed her a job as the organist in her church parish that lasted through high school. Music remained a constant for her throughout her life.

After a successful career at St. Mary High School, where she was class president, prom queen and involved in many clubs and sports, she graduated in 1958. After graduation, she decided to enter the convent of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and attended the college of Mount Saint Joseph. She graduated in 1962 with a B.A. in Mathematics. She spent the next 15 years teaching high school mathematics, continuing her commitment to the Sisters of Charity and attending the University of Notre Dame, where she earned her M.A. in education and mathematics in 1971. She then left Ohio to live in Albuquerque, NM for four years and eventually moved to Denver, CO to teach.

Ruth had such a profound effect on a great number of students and families during her many years of teaching. Not only in the classroom but also on a personal level and during the many trips and adventures that she took with students to places like the Grand Canyon, Italy and Japan.

Once in Denver, she made the tough but inevitable decision to leave the Sisters of Charity. While spending some time on self-reflection and contemplating her next life steps, she attended a dinner party of a dear friend and met the man who would change it all. She and Jack Wolfe began dating and quickly realized that theirs was a forever kind of love. They married a short seven months later, on New Year’s Eve of 1977. They remained devoted partners and best friends throughout their 46-year marriage. Their love, respect and kindness toward one another was an incredible example to all who witnessed it.

As their relationship and love for one another deepened, they decided to start a family. They adopted their two children, Beth and Gabe, in 1981 and 1984. They moved from Denver to Northern Colorado and Ruth began working at the Dawson School in Lafayette, CO, where she worked for the last 23 years of her career.

Ruth’s fun loving and silly nature was infectious and drew people to her. When those same people realized how genuinely authentic she was, they stuck around and became lifelong friends. She made friends easily, everywhere she went. Although she was always surrounded by wonderful people, she was closer to none more than her children and grandchildren. She was an exceptional mother and grandmother, which was evident in the end, as she was surrounded by them almost constantly for the last two weeks of her life.

Ruth’s life changed with her dementia and eventual Alzheimer’s diagnosis nearly 15 years ago, but even as her cognition began to slowly fade, she still had the ability to absolutely light up a room with her sincere smile. The sound of her laugh was infectious and there was no better feeling than being on the receiving end of one of her belly laughing fits. You couldn’t help but laugh along with her, tears of joy streaming down both faces.

Along with her parents, Ruth was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jack Wolfe.

Those left to cherish her memory are her daughter Beth (Seth) Haley; son Gabriel Wolfe; 8 grandchildren: Mariah Felan Wolfe, Gabriel D. Wolfe, Malachi Warrilow; Charlotte and Bennett Gagne and John, Colin and Emerson Haley

A Celebration of Life Mass will take place on Friday, November 15 th at 10:00 AM at Light of Christ ECC Church, 1000 W 15 th Avenue, Longmont, CO followed by a luncheon. Please wear your most colorful and joyful outfits to the service. Please also bring any kind of noise maker (i.e. bells, maracas, tambourines, etc.). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Light of Christ ECC or to A Day Place in Longmont, CO.