Ruth T Suh

Ruth Suh, age 92, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.

Born on April 8, 1934, in Brookfield, Wisconsin to the late Albert and Lucille (née Stubinski) Theine, Ruth was raised on a dairy farm in Oconomowoc as the eldest of six children. Possessing an adventurous spirit and a deep natural curiosity, she left home to work and pursue an education. Her desire to continually learn and educate herself would be a characteristic that continued throughout her life. She graduated from Milwaukee Downer College and then studied dietetics at the University of Wisconsin, becoming a Registered Dietitian.

It was during her time at UW Madison that she met the love of her life, John Taiyoung Suh, then a PhD graduate student in chemistry at the School of Pharmacy. The two were married and shared a loving, devoted partnership of nearly 60 years until his passing in 2016.

The couple initially settled near Philadelphia, where they welcomed their first two children, Mary and Tom. They later returned to Wisconsin, completing their family with the births of Ted and Anne. While living in Mequon, Ruth was active in the local community with the PTA and Boy and Girl Scouts and worked as a dedicated dietitian at Lasata Senior Living in Cedarburg and Rogers Memorial Hospital in Oconomowoc.

In 1977, the family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut—a community that Ruth and John truly considered home. While her eldest, Mary, attended college, her younger children attended Greenwich Public Schools. Ruth continued her passionate career in nutrition care as a dietitian at The Nathaniel Witherell home. She cherished her daily routine and fond memories of volunteering, cooking, knitting, reading and walking along Tod’s Point with John. Following John’s death in 2016, Ruth relocated to Chicago to live with her daughter Anne’s family.

Ruth is survived by her loving children Mary Butler (Mark) of Evanston IL, Tom (Helene) of Skelleftea, Sweden, Ted (Holly) of Andover, MA and Anne Hauser (Alan) of Chicago; beloved grandchildren Amelia, William, Grace, Kiera and Colin. She is survived by sisters Monica Goral and Shirley Wiedenhoeft and cherished nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John Taiyoung Suh; her grandson, John; and her brothers, Ray, Don, and Bill Theine.

Donations in her memory may be made to John Hauser’s Fund at UND (https://undalumni.org/giving-impact/johns-fund.html), MusiCorps (http://musicorps.net/Support.html) or the charity of your choice.

A memorial service will be held at Pagenkopf Funeral Home (2228 N. Silver Maple Ln, Oconomowoc, WI 53066) on September 12, 2026. Visitation will take place from 1:00pm-3:00pm with a service to follow at 3:00pm. A reception will take place at the funeral home following the service. All are welcome.