Obituary: Ruth Donovan, 67, of Arlington

The following is from DeVito Funeral Home.

Ruth A. (Francis) Donovan, 67, of Arlington, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014.

Beloved wife of Timothy R. Donovan. Loving mother of Terence P. Donovan of Arlington and the late Maureen Donovan Regan and her husband Andrew P. Regan of Winchester. Daughter of Bertha (Leppanen) and the late Justin Francis of Hagerstown, Md. Sister of Judy Peisen of Hagerstown, Md., Joyce Grunwell of Duluth, Ga., and Justin Francis of Hilton Head, S.C.

Born in Revere, Ruth grew up in the Newton village of Waban. She graduated from Sargent College at Boston University in 1967. She was a dedicated occupational therapist at Youville Hospital in Cambridge, the Recuperative Center in Roslindale, the Hellenic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Canton and the Aberjona Nursing Home in Winchester, until her retirement in 2011.

Ruth and Tim moved to Arlington in 1975 and raised their two children. She was very active in Girl Scouts, leading a troop and chaperoning them on trips to Washington D.C. and Japan. She was a generous donor to charities, and enjoyed books and crossword puzzles. She often traveled to Vermont, Arizona, England and Ireland. She loved the family's pets, including many dogs, cats and birds.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit in The DeVito-O'Donnell Funeral Home, 1145 Mass. Ave., Arlington, on Thursday morning from 9-10:30 with a funeral mass to commence at 11 in St. Eulalia Parish in Winchester. Interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Ruth's memory to: Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 350 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130, rconnelly@mspca.org; or The Cat Connection, P.O. Box 541435, Waltham, MA 02454-1435. For directions or to send a condolence, visit devitofuneralhomes.com.