Ruth Leslie Vyse,

When you look up at the evening sky tonight you will notice a star missing…the shining light that was the most thoughtful, generous and selfless.

Beloved wife, mother and friend Ruth Vyse passed away April 18, 2022. She went peacefully and was in the company of Ernie, her husband of 59 years.

Born to Fridjohn and Eunice Johnson, Ruth grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Ruth graduated from high school at 16 and immediately went to work. In Winnipeg, she was trained as an IBM key punch operator in the early days of computing. That capability took her to Thompson, Manitoba, where she met Ernie, the love of her life, whom she married in 1962. As she was highly skilled in what was then a cutting edge technology, Ruth was able to support Ernie and her family while he pursued his Ph.D.

Ernie and Ruth subsequently lived in Eugene, OR, Edmonton, Alberta, England and Irvine, CA before settling in Bozeman in 1972, where they raised their children, Ron and Kori.

Ruth was a spiritual person who had the gift of being wholly present for whatever she was engaged in, whether it was work, a conversation with a friend, or spending time volunteering. You never failed to feel deeply seen in her presence. She loved and deeply appreciated the simple things and simple moments - books, flowers, movies (particularly romantic comedies), cooking and baking, the music of Elvis Presley, spending time with friends over coffee or wine, running, hiking, X-country skiing and cheering on her beloved MSU women’s basketball team.

The kindness, thoughtfulness and love she shared with and for so many belied a certain quiet strength and resiliency she exuded every day. There is no better example of this than her working full time at MSU while also taking classes part time for 26 years (!), earning her degree in Community Health in 1997. During her tenure she worked in the Data Entry Center where she was known for her flawless performance. She also worked in the Admissions Department and loved interacting with students who were pursuing their studies at the university.

Ruth is survived by husband Ernie, her daughter Kori (Portland, OR), son Ron and his wife Adrienne Roberts Vyse (Nipomo, CA), sister Margaret, brother-in-law Tom Bergman and nephews David Bergman, John Bergman and Neil Bergman (Calgary, Alberta), sister-in-law Donna Vyse (Vancouver, B.C.), nephew Cary Vyse (Vancouver, B.C.) and niece Tracey Vyse-Desmarais (Kelowna, B.C.). Kori and Ron meant so much to Ruth and her friends will recall being told proudly at length about their achievements, both personally and during their athletic careers.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Saturday, July 16th at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Bozeman. Details will be provided at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Ruth’s honor to Family Promise of Gallatin Valley (www.familypromisegv.org). <http://www.familypromisegv.org).>