Ruth Elizabeth Ault

WAYNE – Ruth Elizabeth Ault passed away at her home on Friday, July 17, 2020 at age 91, having lived a rich and joyful life.Born May 19, 1929 to parents Charles and Ruth Ault of Auburn, Maine, she was the fourth of eight siblings, and had two older half-sisters. Ruth spent her early years attending Auburn schools, and her summers at the family’s seasonal home on Morrison Heights in Wayne. She had an early love for music, taking piano lessons, and playing marching snare in the Webster School drum and bugle corps.In 1942 the family moved to Wayne full-time, and Ruth attended Winthrop Jr. High and High Schools. For her senior year, she enrolled at Gould Academy in Bethel, where she participated in chorus and musical productions, graduating in 1946. Ruth attended Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. where she was again active in chorus, graduating with a degree in English Literature in 1950. She began teaching soon thereafter at the Chapel Hill School in Waltham, Mass.In 1953, Ruth married John R. Pakulski of Livermore Falls and purchased the Ault Family home in Wayne from Ruth’s mother. They ran it as a B&B and gift shop for a time, before raising their four children there. Ruth eventually returned to teaching, working as a special education teacher at Winthrop High School for many years. She was well loved by many of her students, who would often greet her warmly later in life and recount how she had made a positive impact on their lives.Ruth was a longstanding member of the Androscoggin Chorale and Maine Music Society, singing soprano in many choral performances over several decades. She loved attending musical and theatrical performances at Tanglewood, The Theater at Monmouth, and the Maine State Music Theatre. Ruth was an avid skier and spent many winters skiing at Sugarloaf and other Maine ski areas. She loved sailing, whitewater rafting, exploring inland and coastal Maine, and she sang every Sunday at the North Wayne Church right up to age 91. She loved her NY Times crossword puzzle, a good martini, and visiting with family and friends.Ruth was predeceased by her son Stefan Pakulski in 2016 and six of her siblings. She is survived by three of her children, Lisa, Marek and Tom Pakulski; five grandchildren, Ted, Mia, Anya, Kai and Janika Pakulski; three siblings, David Ault, Peter Ault and Sara Fasciano; her daughter-in-law Lynette Johnson; many nieces and nephews; and an enormous network of friends from all over the country. Hers was a life well-lived. She always had a smile on her face, a song on her lips, and a story to tell. Ruth’s family would like to thank her close friends and members of the Wayne community who made such a difference in her final days.A memorial service will be held at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to:Aging at Home Wayne Town Office PO Box 400 Wayne, ME 04284

Ruth Elizabeth Ault

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