BUDD, Ruth June - (June 20, 1924–June 30, 2021) - The family of Ruth Budd, née Ross, is sad to announce her death, at age 97, at home in Toronto, after a brief illness.
A retired Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) musician, Ruth was born in Winnipeg, MB to parents Jack Ross and Olive (née Barrett), and was pre-deceased by her parents and her siblings, Pearl, Alan, and Rita. With oboist (ex)husband Philip Budd (deceased), Ruth had two children, son Kevin and daughter Gillian (deceased 2017).
Ruth leaves to mourn son Kevin (and family); two grandsons, James (and family) and Kevin (and friend); one great-grandson; and an extraordinary number of friends of all ages.
Ruth was Canada’s first professional female bassist. She was a much-loved member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1947–1952 and 1964–1989) where she spent most of her career.
Ruth was one of the “Symphony Six” TSO musicians who, suspected of being “Reds” during the Cold War, were barred for life from entry into the United States. This meant that the TSO of the era could not tour in the US with musicians who had been blacklisted, and so the six musicians were dropped from the Symphony—a controversial decision for which the TSO received much public criticism.The family thanks Christie Gardens Wellness Centre and the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care team, who helped her through her short illness. A very special and heartfelt thanks to Ruth’s closest friends, whose friendship, help, and support are beyond measure.
In lieu of flowers, friends may wish to honour her memory with a donation to a cause she valued, such as: Toronto Symphony Orchestra (tso.ca/tribute), Indspire Indigenous education (indspire.ca), or CAMH (camh.ca).
Ruth’s extraordinary life will be celebrated in person, when Covid restrictions allo.
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