Ruth McKerrow

1927 - 2022  (94 years)

• Name	Ruth McKerrow
  Born	14 Dec 1927	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada
  Gender	Female
  Name	Ruth Jackson
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-286793
  Died	4 Dec 2022	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Buried	Dunks Bay Cemetery, Tobermory, St. Edmunds Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario
  Person ID	I286793	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Family	Dr. Bruce Madill Jackson,   b. 18 Jul 1925,   d. 27 Aug 2013  (Age 88 years)
  Married	1951
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F60928	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Lifetimes: When the subject was food, Ruth Jackson had the answers By Valerie Hill Special to the Record Mon., Jan. 24, 2022 If there was a cause related to food safety, nutrition or consumer's rights, you can bet Ruth Jackson was leading the charge. She served multiple roles, including president of the Ontario branch of the Consumers Association of Canada, board member at Schneider's Foods and numerous farm marketing organizations. "She raised public awareness of issues, of product issues," said her son, Ken Jackson. Anything food-related, Ruth was the one newspapers, radio and television reporters always called first. She was also a frequent keynote speaker at conferences. Ruth consistently spoke with passion and experience though it must have been difficult for her, given by nature, she was rather introverted. A retired pastor from her church commented that it was nearly impossible to get Ruth to chat. "She was quiet and humble," said Ken. "You'd never hear her sing her own praises." Isabel Rice, a friend from Forest Hill United Church, recalled Ruth as "a significant, quiet worker, never drawing attention to herself." Ruth was also always eager to share her knowledge. Isabel noted Ruth was involved in creating a Forest Hill church cookbook. "One of her best-known recipes was for 'Clean out the Fridge Soup,' which is still a favourite by some of the congregation," said Isabel. Ruth was born on Dec. 14, 1927, in Toronto, one of the two daughters of Milton and Edith McKerrow. Her father worked for the railway, and though neither parent had post-secondary education, they encouraged Ruth. She completed an undergraduate degree, followed by a master's degree in food sciences from the University of Toronto, where she was top of her class, a gold medal winner. Though Ruth would never officially hold a job in her field, she would spend a lifetime raising her hand and saying, "I'll do it." "Volunteering was her work, and she did it full time," explained her daughter, Helen McFarlane. The family remembers fondly how their dining room table was always piled with papers, mostly reports and research documents, to the point the surface wasn't visible. But should someone turn up for dinner, Ruth would have the table cleared and a delicious five-course dinner on the table within the hour. It was a remarkable bit of kitchen and organizational artistry, one that made her rather famous in local circles. Ruth and her husband, dentist Bruce Jackson, met on a blind date and married in 1951. He had graduated from the University of Toronto in 1950 and opened his first practice in downtown Kitchener. The family lived in Waterloo first, then moved to the Forest Hill area of Kitchener in 1960, where they would raise their children, Ken, Helen and Margaret. Like his wife, Bruce was also an avid volunteer, primarily with Boy Scouts, an organization that recognized him with the Silver Acorn Award presented by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. In 1988, the provincial government presented Ruth with the inaugural Consumer Educator of the Year award. In a 1981 Record article, Ruth noted there was more interest in the eye appeal of food rather than in its nutritional value. She set out to change how food was graded, with more emphasis placed on the consumers and less on the bottom line of growers and retailers. Today it's rather trendy to purchase so-called naturally imperfect foods, but in the 1980s, Ruth was a pioneer. Ruth was frequently ahead of the curve, and she did have several successes. The open windows on packages of bacon were her idea so consumers could see what they were getting. For both Ruth and Bruce, life centred on the family and much of their together time was spent at their beloved Tobermory cottage. For Ruth and the kids, it would be all summer with Bruce coming up on weekends. She loved the cold waters of Georgian Bay, fishing, boating, swimming daily. The couple made many friends in Tobermory and once, when Ruth sailed to Manitoulin Island headed for an agricultural conference, the locals got together to welcome her home, holding up "Welcome back Bean Queen" signs on the pier. Unfortunately, she wasn't on the boat, but the nickname stuck. Ken talked about how social his parents were, the bridge games, the gatherings, the fantastic food. She was particularly noted for her butter tarts. In the 1970s, Ruth took a job teaching at Conestoga College, but that only lasted perhaps three years, said Helen. Working interfered with family life and her volunteer projects. When Ruth moved into a retirement residence, her 10X10-foot home office had piles of documents on every surface, covering the entire floor, a messy, albeit impressive legacy. Bruce died in 2013. Ruth died on Dec. 4, 2022. Freelance writer Valerie Hill is a former Record reporter. She can be reached by email at "Lifetimes: When The Subject Was Food, Ruth Jackson Had The Answers". 2022. Therecord.Com. https://www.therecord.com/life/2022/01/24/lifetimes-when-the-subject-was-food-ruth-jackson-had-the-answers.html.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 14 Dec 1927 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Died - 4 Dec 2022 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Dunks Bay Cemetery, Tobermory, St. Edmunds Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario  = Link to Google Earth