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Abby Ruth (Linehan) Terreri, longtime resident of Guilford, passed away peacefully on April 24, with her family by her side. She was predeceased by her husband Claude J. Terreri, Jr., whom she married on April 23, 1957; they were married for 55 years until his death in 2012. Abby Ruth was born April 28, 1935, in Hornell, New York, daughter of the late John Francis Linehan and Vera Eloise (Talbot) Linehan.

She is survived by her five children, son Steven J. Terreri and his spouse Maureen of Guilford, daughter Ellen L. Terreri of Clinton, daughter Ruthanna Terreri of Madison, son Michael L. Terreri and his partner Heather Goodnow of Old Saybrook, and son Mark C. Hedge-Terreri and his spouse Brian of Old Saybrook; grandchildren Amanda, Abby Ruth, Michael, Adam, Chad, Aimee, Austin, Eric, Andrew, Jack, Alexis, Cooper, Lucas, and Sadie and their respective spouses/partners; and great-grandchildren Sean Patrick, Maia, Jacob, Maeve, Liam, Iris, and Ryker. She is also survived by her brother John F. Linehan his wife Stella, brother Thomas Linehan his wife Maryjane, brother R. Patrick Linehan his wife Joanne, and brother Daniel Linehan and his wife Sharon, all of Upstate New York, as well as many cherished nieces, nephews, and friends. She was predeceased by her brother Dennis Linehan and sister M. Eileen Linehan both of Hornell, New York.

Abby Ruth began working part-time jobs in her young teens bagging candy at Woolworths, volunteered as a candy striper at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, New York, and eventually secured a job feeding patients, where she became inspired to pursue a career in nursing. She often spoke about the pride she took in those early years saving her money and being excited to purchase gifts for her younger six siblings. Abby Ruth was a graduate of Hornell High School in Hornell, New York, and graduated from All Souls Hospital School of Nursing in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1956, where she worked as a charge nurse until she and her family moved to Guilford in 1974. She continued her nursing career at Fowler Nursing Center/Apple Rehabilitation Center in Guilford, full-time as a nurse, assistant director, and numerous stints as interim director of nurses, until her retirement in 2000. Only months later, realizing that retirement was not for her, she secured a position at Chesterfields/Apple Rehabilitation Center in Chester, working part-time in medical records until her second retirement in 2018. Working as a geriatric nurse was among the greatest source of pride and joy in her life and she struggled with retiring at the age of 83, noting her love of working with/ serving the “old people”. Her work ethic was immeasurable.

In addition to her many personal and professional accomplishments, perhaps her greatest accomplishment was her absolute devotion to her family and friends. She balanced her family life and career with dignity and grace; she was the consummate matriarch. She was an inspiring source of encouragement and role model for her children and grandchildren for whom she was fiercely protective. She especially adored being a grandmother and showered her grandchildren with love and affection and exemplified the importance of honesty, character, compassion, and that anything in life is possible with hard work and dedication.

She was an avid and voracious reader of novels and magazines alike. She loved reading and collecting cookbooks and cut recipes from her numerous magazine subscriptions. She enjoyed cooking and was an amazing hostess of all family holidays. She planned and executed large parties in her home for various occasions acting as both a hostess and caterer; she was an outstanding cook. Always humble, she would ward off compliments of her abilities by saying, “If you can read, you can cook.” She also traveled extensively in the United States and visited many European countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, and the Soviet Union prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain on a tour of nursing homes.

Above all else, she lived her life with a sense of compassion and appreciation and was grateful for the relationships fostered, and the experiences she was afforded along the way; she took no blessing for granted.

COVID-19 guidelines must be followed—social distancing and face masks must be worn.

Friends are invited to PASS through calling hours from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. A Mass of Christian burial will be at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 30, at St. George Church, 33 Whitfield Street, Guilford. Burial will follow in Saint George Cemetery, Hubbard Road, Guilford. (Limited space is available.) Registration is required; to register, visit www.stgeorgeguilford.org/reservation-for-funeral-mass/. Those with no Internet access can call the office at 203-453-2788 x 215. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in her name be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com .