Ruth Gallop

Ruth Doyle Gallop was born on May 10, 1933 to Charlotte and Luke Doyle in Beverly on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. She grew up with her younger brother, Tom Doyle.

Ruth was married 64 years to her husband, Jim Gallop, who held her hand to the end. She had the patience to be an excellent mother for her sons, John, Stuart, Tom, and David. She was a loving mother-in-law to Jackie, Cindi, Michelle, and Sue. She was a resilient woman. She fought cancer for 38 years, but you would never hear it from her. She died at 92 years old on April 7, 2026.

Ruth loved to connect with children, and deeply valued education. She graduated from DuPauw University where she studied Education and Spanish. She became a second-grade, Sunday school, and Spanish teacher. She was an avid reader, passionate walker, and faithful Christian. Ruth was a God-loving woman. She was generous with her time and prayers, and filled her life volunteering. She would never tell you this, but her generosity was instrumental in two programs, the building of Naomi Village, an education center serving 500 Kenyan children and the Heal Africa Hospital which corrected club feet for over 20,000 children in the Congo.

Ruth was generous with her love. She always remembered birthdays and sent long cards with family updates. She gave solid and simple advice. She didn’t care about things, she cared about people, but would tell you to never let what the wrong people think phase you. Her friendships mattered a great deal to her. She loved reading, flowers, sunsets, shopping secondhand, and visiting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She was never wasteful.

Ruth saw the world, but her favorite place of all was Silver Lake Michigan, where her grandfather built a cottage and she returned every year of her life. She passed her love of Silver Lake onto her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who all grew up playing in the lake and loving the sand dunes every year like her. Ruth read by the lake, excelled at blueberry picking, basked in sunsets, and danced the chicken dance at the weekly Pentwater band concert. She loved time with her twelve grandchildren, Ariel, Kyle, Marina, Zach, Sydney, Riley, Max, Lindsey, Taylor, Casey, Kate, and Paige. Her family was lucky to have her. They already listen to voicemails to hear her ringing voice again. In Chicago, Austin, and Michigan, she surrounded herself with photos of her loved ones.

Ruth was generous with her joy. She had a laugh you could spot anywhere and a dry sense of humor that surrounded her with other’s laughter. Most recently, she lit up watching her great grandchildren Liam, Tyson, Micah, Rocco, and Seton Rose play. Ruth first met smiley Seton on her last day of life, and she was excited after to tell Jim how cute she was.

Ruth is dearly loved. She will always be remembered on Silver Lake in her lighthouse sweater, reading, laughing, and enjoying the view she loved from youth.

A visitation will be held at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187, on Thursday, April 16, 2026, beginning at 4:00 pm. The funeral service will follow at 6:00 pm.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Wheaton Youth Outreach, Naomi’s House, or Community Foundation of Oceana County.