Ruth Donna Messina's Obituary
Ruth Donna Messina, 91, of Leesburg Florida, passed away comfortably on April 20, 2026. Born April 18, 1935, in Buffalo New York, she graduated from Lafayette High School.
Ruth and her late husband Philip J. Messina, were married for 63 years. Together they owned and operated multiple restaurants around the Buffalo area. A loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Ruth is survived by her children Philip Messina, Mark& Darlene Messina, Emily & James Oddo; grand children Mark Messina & (Jennifer Cady), Heather & Mike Perkins,Kristin Messina, Melissa Farmer, James (JC) & Elizabeth Oddo; great-grandchildren Kayla Mayson, JJ, Mariella, Eliza, Milayna, Macston, Olivia. her deeply loved in-laws John & Peggy Messina Lisa Messina & (Kathy Roth), and James and Cindy Messina also survive her.
She was preceded in death by her parents James Carroll and Emma Schurr and by siblings James Carroll,Jack Carroll,Florence Bower, Jean Bateman, Patricia Cody, Mary Lou Buck, and Kathleen Eberhard. (In-laws Salvatore & Janet Messina are also
A devout Catholic, Ruth organized Legion of Mary and altar and Rosary societies from Buffalo to Florida. She fulfilled a life long dream by making a solo pilgrimage to Medjugorje - known for apparitions of the Virgin Mary a journey that deepened her faith. even after loosing her eyesight, she remained an avid listener of over 1000 audiobooks and was rarely seen without her Air Pods. Known for her warm hugs, infectious smile, quick humor,and generous heart, she often stopped her car to help homeless and less fortunate people and was always ready to care for others.
Ruth Treasured her family time; her annual family vacations brought together as many as 40 friends and relatives that created countless stories and lasting memories. She was also a caretaker at Hawthorne At Leesburg, to over 30 families in her latter days and helped them with daily tasks from preparing meals and taking them to their medical appointments. Ruth also had a knack of running out of gas and getting out of speeding tickets - once explaining to a policeman she was speeding because she wasn’t sure where to go after getting off the highway.
A memorial mass will be held at St. Paul Catholic Church, 1330 Sunshine Ave, Leesburg Florida. Flowers are gratefully declined. Memorial contributions may be made to Cornerstone Hospice (https://cornerstonehospice.org) or by mail to CornerstoneHospice Foundation, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, Fl 32778.
Ruth Donna Messina’s warmth, generosity, and loving spirt will deeply be missed and lovingly remembered.
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