DR. RUTH PEARCE

In the early hours of November 8, 2025 our dearest mother, Dr. Ruth Pearce, passed away peacefully with family at her side.

Ruth was born during the Great Depression to young newlyweds Jim and Muriel Christie. Despite expecting their first child, they left family in Winnipeg and drove to Calgary in search of employment. This journey would not be easy as the roads were only gravel or mud with limited services. Shortly after arrival Ruth was born. Faced with limited work prospects, the family returned to Winnipeg. Eventually, Ruth’s father found steady work, and the family rented a home in downtown Winnipeg, sharing it with boarders to make ends meet.

In those early years Ruth's bedroom was the shared living room and her younger brother, Ron, shared a room with their parents. Sleep could be challenging some nights as her parents loved to host lively parties. Ruth's parents and their friends would pool their money to buy a keg of beer. Ruth wondered why her mother would continue to have these parties because the next day her mother was always standing over the sink saying - never again… never again. For this reason she generally avoided alcohol. Although neither of her parents graduated from middle school Ruth appreciated the love and care her parents provided and they were always proud of her accomplishments.

Those early experiences shaped Ruth deeply. From a young age, she learned responsibility, independence, and advocacy. Her brother Ron had severe disabilities resulting from childhood illnesses, and despite her small stature, Ruth felt it was her responsibility to protect him from neighbourhood bullies. These experiences shaped her lifelong commitment to fairness, compassion, and reason. Ruth was a passionate advocate of science and medicine, firmly believing that scientific and medical advances improve lives. This belief was further reinforced by witnessing the devastating impact of polio on people around her, as was common in those days before vaccines largely eradicated the disease. She often reflected that, had vaccines and antibiotics been available earlier, her brother’s life might have been very different.

An avid reader from childhood, Ruth preferred almost any book to skating lessons, physical activities or spending time with friends. She did however enjoy hand-balancing in high school with some male friends. Of course Ruth was very good at it - as she was a competitive person. Ruth was an introvert who valued her quiet time though she could be quite social in the right setting. These were all personality traits she held strongly as she was a strong contrarian.

After high school, Ruth attended the University of Manitoba, where she was set up on a blind date with Kenneth Pearce. Ken, a WWII veteran and older student, graduated first, and, as was customary at the time, they married soon after. Ruth put her own academic ambitions on hold as they began raising a family—originally imagining six boys, though life had other plans: three boys and three girls, a balance she ultimately cherished.

Ruth was a strong, progressive, supportive and community-minded mother. She believed in tough love and self-reliance, and her children grew up known as “doers.” She encouraged curiosity, creativity, and hands-on learning through cross-Canada car camping trips, summers at the cottage, backyard toboggan runs, dirt bike tracks, or driveways filled with cars in various states of repair but she never complained. The neighbours did call the police about the derelict cars in the driveway but the police were happy that the boys were engaged in safe activities. Friends were always welcome, teenage parties included, as long as Ruth and Ken were home.

Raising six children was not without struggles. Each child had different needs, sometimes simultaneously, and Ruth had to make difficult choices about where her attention was most required. She loved her children deeply, though she expressed it in her own way. Displays of emotion - giving hugs or saying, “I love you”, was not in her nature, possibly due to her Scottish or English heritage as well as earning respect as a petit woman in the depression era. In later years, she became receptive to hugs from her children and grandchildren and if you were lucky enough she would even say I love you -- those were the special days near the end of her life.

The family cottage was typically a place of relaxation for Ruth as the nature of the cottage provided a reprieve from the daily demands of the city life. It was also a central place of adventure and learning for the whole family. With no electricity or telephone in the early years, summers were spent swimming, water-skiing, exploring nature, making friends, and learning self-reliance. Stories included numerous bear encounters, blueberry picking, and unforgettable water and wilderness adventures. In August 1974, the cottage unfortunately burned to the ground, but through Ruth’s determination and the support of family, friends, and the cottage community, a new shell was built by Thanksgiving.

Spiritually, Ruth identified as a pantheist and valued reason, evidence, and open inquiry. In the early 1960s, searching for a church community aligned with their values, Ruth and Ken discovered the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg. Ruth really enjoyed the conversations and debates - as anyone who knew her would attest. Few people ‘won’ debates with Ruth; most eventually surrendered, as she thrived on these exchanges. She was deeply involved in church life, serving as Religious Exploration Coordinator, participating in ministerial searches, sitting on the board and numerous committees, supporting peace initiatives, and helping guide the church’s move to its current location. One of her lasting contributions was founding the Global Outreach Committee, connecting the congregation to Unitarian Universalists around the world. Ruth and Ken remained devoted members for their lives.

Later in life when children were in school, Ruth returned to her academic pursuits. What began as auditing university courses evolved—at Ken’s encouragement—into completing her degree, and ultimately earning a PhD, an achievement neither had initially imagined. Ruth became a history of science and U.S. history professor at the University of Manitoba, the University of Saskatchewan, and Brandon University. Her scholarly work included significant research on Dr. Ruth J. Stocking Lynch, a pioneering American zoologist whose career unfolded despite formidable gender barriers. Although McGill University expressed interest in her work, Ruth chose family over relocation.

Ruth was thrifty and creative. An accomplished seamstress, she made her own wedding dress and many of her children’s clothes. She loved reading aloud to her children and grandchildren, bringing stories to life with a remarkable range of voices—especially her infamous crackling "villain" voice, which never failed to startle listeners even when anticipated. Costumes, textiles, and imaginative projects filled the house. Later in life, she reinvented her creativity through wearable textile art and developed close friendships with textile artists from Australia, whom she later hosted in Canada for workshops and exhibitions.

Ruth always dreamed of traveling to different places around the world, driven by her love of learning about different countries and their cultures, and savoring the culinary diversity. After Ken passed away she embarked on many world adventures including on small cruise ship tours of the Black Sea and up the Amazon River. She travelled to Transylvania for “A Prairie Pilgrimage to the Cradle of Unitarianism”. She later visited the Philippines under the auspices of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU). There, she also participated in an international women’s conference where an inspiring speech coincided with an earthquake—words were spoken and the ground shook, but Ruth remained unfazed. One of her last big trips was to Japan with her daughter where they visited her granddaughter. And visited York Factory up in Northern Manitoba. She often sought out lesser-known destinations and formed friendships that she maintained through correspondence for years.

Ruth was predeceased by her husband, Ken Pearce in 2002 and her daughter Sherry Pearce in 2017. She is lovingly remembered by her children Wray (Barb) of Winnipeg, Diane (Glenn) of Winnipeg, Keith (Eleanor) of Calgary, Glen (Jackie) of Winnipeg, and Holly (Eric) of Ottawa and her 10 grand-children and 7 great-grand-children.

The family is deeply grateful to Convalescent House for over four years of compassionate care that kept our mother safe and well supported by all the staff. Special thanks also go to JTRC Care Services who provided one-on-one care four hours, four times a week, during her time at Convalescent House and Portsmouth.

A celebration of life will be held at 2:00p.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Winnipeg, located at 603 Wellington Crescent and Academy. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg.

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