Ruth Audrey Folan

Mrs. Ruth Audrey (MacDonald) Folan, longtime resident of Weymouth, more recently of Norwell, passed away peacefully on September 13, 2020 at her daughter’s home in Hingham as the result of complications from Covid-19.

Born in Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, Ruth trained to be a laboratory technician at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.  Ruth was gentle, kind, compassionate, and loving. A beautiful person, inside and out, Ruth spent her entire life in joyful service to others. While a young teen, she would spend summers helping to care for her nieces and nephews.  Later, she devoted herself to raising her family of four children, always opening her home to the neighborhood children and her children’s school friends. Ruth was an ever-present figure at her children’s school and her church, St. Francis Xavier in South Weymouth.  Ruth returned to work as a lab tech when her children were older, but still found time to volunteer.  For more than 25 years she delivered food on a weekly basis for the Weymouth Food Pantry.  Ruth was a eucharistic minister at St. Francis Xavier Parish for many years. Serving not only on the alter, but bringing the Eucharist to homebound parishioners and to patients at South Shore Hospital.  For decades Ruth helped to cooked and serve meals for the homeless in Boston and Quincy once a month.  Ruth continued to work as a lab tech up until the age of 80.  Ruth’s greatest joy was spending time with her family.  She loved to spend time with her grandchildren, each of whom have special memories of Grammy.  She was a member of the Weymouth Garden Club and the Weymouth Catholic Club.

Beloved wife of the late John J. Folan.  Loving mother of the late Colman P. Folan and his wife Joanne, of Braintree, Christopher R. Folan and his wife, Maureen, of Plymouth; Eileen F. Mazzulli and her husband, David, of Norwell, Maura A. Gallagher and her fiancé, Hiram Jones of Hingham.  Survived by her treasured grandchildren: Sean and Kendall Folan; Joseph Folan; Alexandra and Lauren Mazzulli; and Claire and Kate Gallagher.  Also survived by her cherished sister, Roberta Hobaica of Easton, sisters-in-law, Dorothy MacDonald and Jaqueline MacDonald, both of Nova Scotia, Canada, and Lucille MacDonald, of New Brunswick, Canada, along with dozens of nieces and nephews. Ruth was predeceased by her sisters, Mary Kawaja, Catherine Penton, Hyla Grant, Elizabeth “Betty” Kelly, Anna Theriault, and her brothers, Hugh “Sonny” MacDonald, Leonard MacDonald, Donald MacDonald, and Robert MacDonald; her sisters-in-law Teresa (Ryan) MacDonald, Alice (Folan) Callahan and Joan (Folan) Ross; brothers-in-law, Henry C. Hobaica, F. A. “Mike” Kelly, John Theriault, Norbert Grant, John Kawaja, Norris Penton, John “Jack” Callahan and Harry A. Ross.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Ruth’s Funeral Mass on Saturday, October 3rd, at St. Francis Xavier Church, Weymouth at 10 AM.  Burial to follow in Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Weymouth Food Pantry, the Alzheimer’s Association or the charity of the donor’s choice.  The family plans to hold a celebration in Ruth’s honor at a later date.