Agnes Isabel Ruhl

April 18, 1928 – May 4, 2026

Agnes died peacefully in her sleep, in Victoria, in her 99th year. She leaves behind five children, Anne (Jim Murray), Andrew (Susan Hirst), Nancy, Mary (Jim Coady), Jane (John Silva), twelve grandchildren (Bill, Michael, Addie, Jessica, Laura, Ryan, David, Gray, Kate, Jack, Evelyn and Andrew), and seven great-grandchildren (Carter, James, Evelyn, Franklin, Stanley, Wesley and Vincent.) She was predeceased by her husband, Frank (2021) and great-grandson, Owen (2023).

Agnes (Johnston) spent her early years on Willard Avenue in Toronto, attending Humberside Collegiate, the Royal Conservatory of Music and later, the University of Toronto. The family spent summers in Eugenia, Ontario where, one afternoon, when she and her parents were out for a drive, her father stopped to pick up a hitchhiker. Initially the hitchhiker thought Agnes was a country girl and much too young to be of interest. However when Agnes said she was a student at U of T and they found they were in the same year, a romance blossomed, lasting 71 years, before Frank died, aged 95.

Although a city girl, when Frank, a forester, landed a job at International Cooperage in Eagle Lake, Ontario, she braved several years in the remote village, eventually returning to city life when Frank was employed by Johns-Manville in Toronto. However, urban life was not to last, and six years later the family moved to a comparatively isolated farm south of Milton, Ontario.

Frank promised that living on the farm was to last but five years, followed by a return to the city. However, years turned to decades, children were raised and some farming was undertaken. Horses, cows, chickens, ducks, cats and dogs all had their time on the farm.

When her last child was launched, Agnes went back to school and earned a Masters of Education degree, then went to work for the Halton Board of Education as a psychologist. These were some of Agnes’ happiest years and it was with regret that at 65, following the rules of the Board, she retired.

After 50 years on the farm, Frank and Agnes went on to divide their time between Victoria and Meaford, Ontario before moving to Victoria permanently. Here, Agnes flourished, remaining intellectually engaged and developing an eclectic circle of friends attracted by her sense of humour and sharp wit.

In later years, Agnes enjoyed walking the promenade along Dallas Road to Clover Point and spending afternoons in her favourite chair, reading and looking out over the Pacific. She led a happy life with a loving family at the core, and with the help of children, close family friends, and caregivers, Agnes was able to remain in her seaside home, celebrating her 98th birthday just two weeks before she died.