Thierry Ruel

Thierry Clément Ruel was born on 2 December 1972 to Serge Ruel and Ianthie Patrickson (née Harriott). He grew up in Toronto with three siblings (Micheal, Donia, and Marie-Hélène) and a cat named Minou. From these early days, Thierry remembered fondly visits to his grandparents in Québec City and his grandmother in Warwick, Jamaica. These adventures set up his life’s priorities of sharing experiences with family and loved ones.

In high school at Runnymede Collegiate Institute, Thierry solidified many of his longstanding friendships. One of those was with a young woman named Keri Gilroy. While they remained friends through their years of study, in 1999, the friendship deepened. Through a mutual love of camping, canoeing, and adventure, these two people fell in love and married on 30 June 2003. At this moment, his family grew to include his loving father-in-law William (Bill) and mother-in-law Joanne, as well as his brother-in-law Darren, and Darren’s wife Julie.

Professionally, Thierry focussed on computers and information technology. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). For a period, he co-owned a computer store. He went on to have a career as an IT consultant working for a range of organizations. His career however did not define him. His family did.

Thierry and Keri had two beautiful children, Elizabeth Johanna (born 30 August 2006) and Thomas William (born 12 August 2009). This little family of four became the centre of his world. For him, they were the answer to “the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.” His 42. The children were wrapped into the camping excursions enjoying trips all over Ontario. Algonquin Park holds a special place in their memories.

He wanted his children to benefit from the richness of his family history, so they too enjoyed frequent visits to Grandmaman in Québec City and Nana in Jamaica. He also held his baby sister Marie-Hélène Budworth (née Ruel) close. He took great joy in sitting with his brother-in-law Mike while watching Elizabeth and Thomas play with their cousins, Ethan and Aidan.

In 2012, a diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Pancreatic Cancer changed his course, but it only reinforced his commitment to life and to family. Over the last decade, he has dedicated himself to the moments he could grab with those he loved. He was a loving husband, a doting father, a devoted son, an adoring brother, an admiring uncle, and a constant friend. He leaves a deep hole in the hearts of those who were fortunate to be loved by him.

On 29 March 2023, he spent his last moments at home with his family by his side, before passing on to adventures yet to come.

If you are looking for ways to honour Thierry, consider a donation to one of his favourite charities, Ontario Nature, or to the medical community that took such good care of him over the last 10 years.

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