Ruth E Buganski

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Ruth Elizabeth Holmes Buganski, beloved wife of the late Dr. Raymond Buganski, sister to Roger, mother to twelve children, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many. She passed away peacefully on May 3rd at the Otterbein Sunset House, a place she aptly named her “Mini Goddard”. Ruth’s room on Indian Road had an open and revolving door. Hardly a day went by where a family member or a friend was not visiting Ruth. She was a great conversationalist, always steering the story to the loved one in the room. When prompted, she would tell others that she was “downright pampered and living the dream” during her stay at Otterbein Sunset House. Ruth was born to Walter and Helen Holmes on December 24, 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio, eight years before her brother Roger. Her parents owned a printing shop and raised the family nearby. This upbringing was the catalyst for her love of books and good old fashioned letter writing. Her pen pals included grandchildren, students at St. Pius X Elementary and close friends from the Hamilton Lake area. Ruth attended East High where she was the class of 1947 valedictorian. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Mount Union College. She became a first grade teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Euclid, Ohio before she switched her career to full time motherhood. In 1955, Ruth Elizabeth Holmes married the love of her life, Raymond Buganski and together they created a family that included 12 children. Ruth and Ray shared 67 admirable years together before Ray passed away in 2022. They had an exemplary marriage united in the Catholic faith, with unparalleled love for each other and an unwavering commitment to family. Their home on Goddard Road was a gathering place for all: family, friends, neighbors, and sometimes strangers that daughter Sr. Pam would bring to the dinner table! Ruth was absolutely in love with the chaos of it all. She thrived on the telling of stories old and new that brought laughter into the room. She was a quiet counselor to many and a true confidante. Ruth and Ray were devoted parishioners of St. Pius X for over 60 years. Later in life, they spent as much time as they could at a cottage they bought on Lake Hamilton. At this time, they also joined St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Waterloo, Indiana where they made new, wonderful friends. Ruth cherished her time at the lake and formed lifelong bonds with the neighbors. She was known to gather groups together to watch the sunset. Just like Goddard, the Hamilton cottage, while not spacious, was constantly overflowing with kids, grandkids, and friends. Ruth was a true one of a kind: simple, yet elegant; quiet, yet loudly consistent; busy, yet always freeing up time for others. Someone whose actions spoke louder than words. She found excitement in the simple things and was secretly teaching her family to put away the electronics and live in the real world. For example, Ruth had a long standing contest with her grandchildren to see who could find the first Robin to fly back north after a long winter. She encouraged all of us to go “jump in the lake” (with lifejackets on) and stay tuned in to a sunrise or a sunset. She loved to take a group for a walk over to the fire station or to the library. Finally, Ruth was absolutely famous for pulling a little red wagon down to Churchills at the end of her street to fill up with groceries, always at least 3 kids in tow. Ruth never got her driver’s license, and she had a sharp sense of humor, so the bumper sticker on her wagon said: “If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk”. Ruth is survived by her loving children Cynthia (Bob) Starkweather, Mark (Gloria), Lynn (Stephen) Roberts, Joseph (Stephanie), Laura (Sean) O’Toole, Joan (Stephen) Sadowski, Robert (Anne), David (Melissa), Michael (Leslie), son in law John Bishop, and Grandchildren Alicia (Parke) & Matthew Shull, Ellen (Parke) & Matthew Christ, Nathan Parke & Shannon Desmond Parke, Tracy (Buganski) & Craig Costello, Ryan Buganski, Coeli Roberts, Claire Roberts, Cady (Roberts) & Ryan Grable, Jillian (Buganski) & Cory Brunton, Nicholas & Rachel Buganski, Meredith Buganski; Andrew (Julianna), Brett, Kevin, Brian & Lauren Bishop; Owen, Connor, Erin & Kelsey O’Toole; Emma (Sadowski) & Devon Frankevic, Libby (Sadowski) & Trent Zampelli, Cooper (Jessica) & Molly Sadowski; Jacob, Tyler, Lucas & Abigail Buganski; Brooks, Beckett & Amelia Buganski; Dylan, Camden & Anabella Buganski and Great Grandchildren: Sylvia & Jack Shull, Adelaide & Oliver Christ, Aubrey & Olivia Costello, Kayleigh Parke, Theodore Brunton, Charles & Harris Grable, Navy & Baylor Frankevic, and Jack Bishop. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother, daughters Sr. Pamela Marie SND, Ann (John) Bishop, infant daughter Beth, son-in-law Lee Parke and grandson Lee J Parke. Family and Friends may visit Friday May 8th from 4 - 7 p.m. at Ansberg West Funeral Home, 3000 W. Sylvania Ave. Prayer service at 7:00 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday May 9th at 10 a.m. St. Pius X Church, 3011 Carskaddon Ave. Friends are also invited for visitation at St. Pius X anytime after 9 am. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, 5725 Hill Ave. The family wishes to express gratitude to Ashanti Hospice for the care and compassion provided. A very special thank you goes to Ruth’s best friends as of late, Nicole Raczkowski, Nancy Langenderfer, and Micah Hall and the many other nursing aides at Otterbein Sunset House and Cornerstone Caregiving. In the spirit of Ruth’s lifetime support of Catholic organizations and passion for teaching and education, contributions in the memory of Ruth Buganski may be directed to St. Pius X Parish, Notre Dame Academy, St. Francis DeSales High School or Mom’s House.

Ruth E Buganski

December 24, 1931 - May 3, 2026