It is with great sadness that we need to let our library family know that Ann Ruthven, one of our great behind the scenes organisers, has passed away.
MRCL owes a great debt of gratitude to Ann for the generous contribution she made to the library in its first few years. She brought such joy, energy and enthusiasm for the Library to everything she did. Her ‘get things done’ attitude alongside her warm and generous support for all the volunteers under her care, helped to create our positive, inclusive and confident team of Library Assistant volunteers. She was clear-sighted, incisive and pragmatic - and these qualities, very often sweetened by some baking delight or another, helped MRCL meetings, shifts, training and tasks run all the more effectively and successfully!
I am sure we speak for all the volunteers when we say that the whole MRCL community who knew Ann will always have fond and grateful memories of her - be it of the smiles as she buzzed into the library to make sure everyone on duty was ok, or the easy way she offered unobtrusive support or help when some element of the library systems was misbehaving, or the relief when Ann’s text or message came through to say she’d solved this or that problem - we could go on…. She had a great knack of making a molehill out of a mountain!
We send our heartfelt condolences to her family who were so so much at the heart of Ann’s life. We will continue to miss the brightness Ann brought to everyone she worked with at MRCL for a long time to come.
MRCL Trustees
Ann's family has asked us to let everyone who knew Ann that her funeral will be held on Friday, November 5th at 3pm at Haycombe Cemetery. Following this, the wake will be at the Rose and Crown in Hinton Charterhouse. All are welcome.
The family want to celebrate Ann's life and ask those attending to wear "what they are comfortable in, pretty dresses etc".
There will be a collection for Amyloidosis.