June 27, 1931 – August 10, 2023
Ruth Ann (Forsythe) Gurdian, 92, died in the early hours of Thursday, August 10, 2023, in Avon, Ind.
She is survived by her sons David and Will, her daughters Rita Thompson and Regina Liebenthal, as well as nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her twin sister Rosemary El-Bakri of Greenwood, Ind. Ruth will be dearly missed by her family and friends who loved her very much.
Born during the Great Depression on June 27, 1931, in Gary, Ind., Ruth Forsythe was one of two identical twin daughters born to Charles J. and Frances McGinnis Forsythe, who already had two sons (Jack and Charles E. “Gene”). She attended elementary school and high school in Gary, graduating from Lew Wallace H.S. in 1950. From 1950 to 1954, she attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., graduating in 1954 with a B.A., majoring in French language.
At IU she met her future husband, the late William Gurdian (a native of Nicaragua, Central America). Ruth and William were married on June 25, 1955, at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Gary. The newlyweds first lived in Indianapolis before moving to Rochester, N.Y., where their first two children (Rita and David) were born. In 1964, the young family moved to the capital city Managua, Nicaragua, so that William could co-manage the family business: the Gurdian Printing Co., Ltd. (Impresiones Gurdian), which at its apex employed approximately 70 people.
While living in Nicaragua, Ruth gave birth to three more children: Regina, Will, and Dennis. Tragedy struck in December 1972, when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake crippled Managua, prompting Ruth and her young family to be evacuated to the United States; William remained behind in Managua, however, endeavoring to salvage the family business. Ever since then, Ruth and William would never again live together as husband and wife, although the two never divorced.
Ruth and her five children lived in Gary for 13 years. Between 1981 and 1984, however, Ruth returned to Indiana University, Bloomington, to pursue a Master’s Degree in Education (M.S. Ed.), mental health counseling, graduating in May 1984. Ruth and her three youngest children moved to Merrillville, Ind., in 1987. For more than 10 years, Ruth served as a full-time counselor in various roles (e.g., for the Women, Infants, and Children [WIC] program of Northwest Indiana, for the Crisis Center in Gary, etc.) while also working part-time as a family therapist, counseling couples and individuals residing in Merrillville, Crown Point, Hobart, and other Northwest Indiana communities. Many of her clients were deeply impacted by her professional service and fondly remembered her even years later.
Finally retiring in 2009, Ruth busied herself by spending time with her family and attending birthdays, baptisms, graduations, confirmations and other family events for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Over the years she lived with her oldest son, David, in Greencastle, Ind., as well as with her oldest daughter, Rita, and youngest daughter, Regina, in Avon, Ind.
It was during this time that Ruth became active in the pro-life ministry 40 Days for Life, praying outside the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic on Indianapolis’ northside. Ruth was inspired to rent the billboard standing adjacent the clinic, prominently displaying various pro-life messages to prospective clients. In addition to paying out-of-pocket, Ruth raised funds to maintain the billboard for many years. In December 2013, Ruth was featured in an episode of iChoose Life News & Views Catholic radio broadcast (based in Fort Wayne, Ind.), with host Cathie Humbarger interviewing Ruth about her “Billboard for Life.” In the end, her good work directly contributed to saving the lives of approximately 1,569 unborn children (according to estimates from the Women’s Care Center, which eventually was built right next door to Planned Parenthood).
Interestingly, Ruth first returned to Indiana from Nicaragua in December 1972, just one month before the U.S. Supreme Court passed its infamous Roe v. Wade decision in January 1973. Ruth immediately became involved in the burgeoning pro-life movement that quickly emerged in response to the Court’s decision. And she lived long enough not only to see the eventual overturning of Roe in June 2022 but also the effective date of Aug. 1, 2023, when Indiana’s pro-life law restricting most abortions finally went into effect. Four or five days later, Ruth was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Then, on Aug. 10, 2023, she passed away – as if God the Father had called home His good and faithful servant to claim her reward for the good fight now finished.
Ruth was a faithful parishioner of St. Susanna Catholic Church in Plainfield, as well as of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Cicero; her home was located in Cicero. In 2014, Ruth suffered a stroke but fully recovered, enjoying near-perfect health until the last week of her life.
In 2017, Ruth’s youngest son, Dennis, died tragically, followed a few years later by her husband William, who died in 2021. At her son’s funeral, Ruth displayed enormous strength, comforting those in attendance as they wept for Dennis, reassuring them by saying: “We’ll see him again.”
Ruth had a long and fulfilling life. She traveled extensively, including to Dublin, Ireland; Rome, Italy; Munich, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; Zurich, Switzerland; Guadalupe, Mexico; and the Holy Land in Israel. She was an avid reader, devouring numerous volumes of history, classic literature, biographies, etc. She was a lover of classic-era films. She was a great conversationalist and listener. Ruth’s sharp sense of humor was boundless, even amusing her oncologist while he delivered the news of terminal diagnosis. She was truly one in a million.
The funeral Mass for Ruth was held on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at St. Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1005 W. Main St., Danville, Ind. The Mass was preceded by a visitation at the church. Maple Hill Cemetery in Plainfield is Ruth’s final resting place.
“The Master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant! … Come and share your Master’s joy!” (Matthew 25:23)
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