CANTON – Ruth M. McCue of North Easton passed away peacefully on June 13, 2026, just three months shy of her 100th birthday. She was surrounded by her loving family.

Ruth was born in Quincy and raised in Dorchester, together with her sister Barbara, by her parents Ray and Elvira (Swenson) Chenoweth. A proud member of the Greatest Generation, Ruth graduated from Dorchester High School during an accelerated senior year in 1944 and immediately joined the war effort.  She was employed as an assistant to the scientists and executives working in the M.I.T. Radiation Laboratory, the hub of radar development during World War II. She subsequently declined an offer to follow M.I.T scientists recruited by Robert Oppenheimer to join his Manhattan Project in Los Alamos; instead, Ruth remained close to home to care for her parents and await the return of her sweetheart, John A. McCue, who was serving in the Pacific as a U.S. Navy pilot.

After the war ended, Ruth and John married and raised their four children – David, Linda, Marcia, and Mark – in Milton. While maintaining a well-organized and disciplined household, Ruth found time to pursue her passion for socializing and entertaining. She hosted countless dinner parties for colleagues, neighbors, and friends, and regularly dined with a group of neighborhood friends dubbed “The Champagne Girls.” Active in the Milton Women’s Club, she not only socialized but also pursued her keen interest in painting, producing numerous works of art that now serve as keepsakes for her children and grandchildren. 

Following John’s death, Ruth revealed her strength and fierce independence. She purchased a townhouse in North Easton where she lived for 40 years through age 98. Ruth returned to work in the defense industry as an executive assistant for Northrop Grumman, proud to have worked throughout her career for senior executives in what she called “Mahogany Row.” Ruth loved to travel and, together with her sister Barbara, explored Great Britain, Western Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hawaii, and cruised Alaska with her cousin Dottie. Her love of the seaside was ingrained in Ruth’s character: she regularly summered in South Harwich with her family, lived for five years in San Diego hosting frequent visits from her children and their families, and annually visited the Rye, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine coastal communities. Determined to remain fit and independent, Ruth walked daily and line-danced twice a week. She was a lifelong learner, often taking classes offered to seniors through Stonehill College, and loved the arts, regularly attending Boston Ballet performances with her daughter Marcia. Even in her later years, Ruth never refused an opportunity to enjoy a good margarita.  

Ruth was most proud of her family, which includes four children, eleven grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. Nana/Nana Ruth/Ruthie was the stalwart matriarch of many family events and activities and enjoyed sharing in the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Ruth is survived by her daughter Linda Carta and her husband James Carta of Norwood; her daughter Marcia Edmonston of North Easton; her son Mark McCue and his wife Vasiliki Canotas of Kittery, Maine; and her sister Barbara Mahn of Peabody. She also is survived by her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband John A. McCue, her son David J. McCue, her grandson Thomas C. McCue, her son-in-law Donald J. Edmonston, and her daughter-in-law Barbara A. McCue.

Ruth’s family thanks the devoted caregivers at Touching Hearts, Tides Hospice, and Cornerstone at Canton for the extraordinary care, compassion, and companionship they provided to our mother over the past year.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Alfred D. Thomas Funeral Home, 326 Granite Ave., Milton, MA. Calling hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (Help fight Alzheimer's) or the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (Donate – Cure Alzheimer's Fund).