Obituary for Renate Rutley
Renate Rutley (nee Haussler) Obituary
Renate was born on October 13, 1934 in Leipzig Germany. She had one sister and 2 brothers although one brother was killed in W.W. II. She learned to survive during the war and experienced many hardships. Somehow, she was able to leave East Germany to live with her Aunt and Uncle in West Germany. She lived in a chicken coop which was turned into a small apartment. Her first job was a cook for a wealthy family although she didn’t know a thing about cooking. She quickly learned and mastered this craft. To this day, she owns a number of cookbooks to rival a bookstore and made some fabulous meals.
She met her husband, George Rutley while in he was stationed in Germany. They married in 1962 and moved to Canada. It was not an easy transition as she had left all her friends and family behind. She learned to speak English fluently although she maintained a German accent. She had only 1 child, her daughter Mechele & (Bob McLean) who was born the following year in 1963.
For several years, they moved to a number of cities including one in Germany. They finally settled in Toronto when George left the army to become an insurance salesman in 1970. For the next 43 years, Renate lived in the same apartment. She and George subsequently divorced. She had a close group of friends who would get together and play cards. She denied that she cheated but we all knew she would occasionally hide a card here and there. Although, there were some romances along the way, she never re-married.
She loved fashion, art, fine dining and had a flair for interior design. She worked for Deboer’s, Kantuu and eventually started her own business as Renate’s Interiors. Renate enjoyed her work and was very skilled. She loved the finer things and you could find her meandering along Yorkville or in Sherway Gardens. Most of all, she loved her 2 grandsons, Jason and Scott.
As Renate got older, she developed Alzheimer’s which is a devastating disease. Eventually, Renate moved to Caressant Care in Marmora, Ontario. She enjoyed various activities and was loved by the staff who named her the Duchess. I cannot begin to thank the staff at Caressant Care for their kindness and gentleness. She died peacefully with her family at her side on January 27, 2021.
Renate was born on October 13, 1934 in Leipzig Germany. She had one sister and 2 brothers although one brother was killed in W.W. II. She learned to survive during the war and experienced many hardships. Somehow, she was able to leave East Germany to live with her Aunt and Uncle in West Germany. She lived in a chicken coop which was turned into a small apartment. Her first job was a cook for a wealthy family although she didn’t know a thing about cooking. She quickly learned and mastered this craft. To this day, she owns a number of cookbooks to rival a bookstore and made some fabulous meals.
She met her husband, George Rutley while in he was stationed in Germany. They married in 1962 and moved to Canada. It was not an easy transition as she had left all her friends and family behind. She learned to speak English fluently although she maintained a German accent. She had only 1 child, her daughter Mechele & (Bob McLean) who was born the following year in 1963.
For several years, they moved to a number of cities including one in Germany. They finally settled in Toronto when George left the army to become an insurance salesman in 1970. For the next 43 years, Renate lived in the same apartment. She and George subsequently divorced. She had a close group of friends who would get together and play cards. She denied that she cheated but we all knew she would occasionally hide a card here and there. Although, there were some romances along the way, she never re-married.
She loved fashion, art, fine dining and had a flair for interior design. She worked for Deboer’s, Kantuu and eventually started her own business as Renate’s Interiors. Renate enjoyed her work and was very skilled. She loved the finer things and you could find her meandering along Yorkville or in Sherway Gardens. Most of all, she loved her 2 grandsons, Jason and Scott.
As Renate got older, she developed Alzheimer’s which is a devastating disease. Eventually, Renate moved to Caressant Care in Marmora, Ontario. She enjoyed various activities and was loved by the staff who named her the Duchess. I cannot begin to thank the staff at Caressant Care for their kindness and gentleness. She died peacefully with her family at her side on January 27, 2021.