Ruth Trask

NORTHBORO / WEST BOYLSTON
Ruth Ann Shonyo Trask of Northborough, MA, formerly of West Boylston, MA, a former alumni information editor at Worcester (MA) Polytechnic Institute, died on July 26, 2016 in Northborough, MA.

She was born on Feb. 9, 1930, in St. Johnsbury, VT, to the late Lewis Dickinson Shonyo and Marion Fisher Shonyo of Lyndonville, VT. Her stepmother, Alice Hawkins Shonyo, passed away in 1991.

While a student at Lyndon Institute she was named an honorary member of Joe Kelly's Quiz Kids following a nationwide essay-writing contest. She graduated from Colby Junior College (now Colby-Sawyer College) where she won a campus correspondent award from the former Mademoiselle Magazine. She was a charter member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Colby Junior. After graduating from Middlebury College, where she belonged to Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, she attended Katharine Gibbs School in Boston.

Before joining the staff at WPI, Mrs. Trask was a reporter for the Caledonian-Record and the Addison County Independent in Vermont. She won an honorary short story writing award from Writer's Digest and poetry awards from Ideals.

She formerly sang with the Old South Church Choir in Boston, the Master Singers in Worcester, and the First Congregational Church Choir in West Boylston, MA.

In 1951 Ruth enjoyed a trip on the Queen Mary. In 1968 she and her family were rescued by the Canadian Mounties following a train wreck in the Rockies. They spent many happy vacations in Boothbay Harbor, ME.

Her survivors include her former husband William F. Trask and daughter Carrie of West Boylston, MA, daughter Laurie %5Bhusband James Mann%5D of Pittsburgh, PA, two sons, Jeff %5Bwife Rachel%5D of Silver Spring, MD, and Terry %5Bwife Jessica%5D of Northboro, MA, and grandchildren Leslie Mann, Luke Trask and Emily Trask. Also survived by her cousins Sybil Hazen, Nancy Rahm and their families.

The funeral service will be held at the First Congregational Church, West Boylston, MA, at 10 AM on Saturday, July 30. There are no visiting hours. Burial will be at Lyndon Center Cemetery, Lyndon Center, VT, at 11 AM on Monday, August 1.

Donations may be made to the First Congregational Church of West Boylston Organ Fund, 26 Central St., West Boylston, MA 01583; and JHC Hospice, 629 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609.

Arrangements are in the care of FAY BROTHERS Funeral Home, 1 West Boylston Street, West Boylston, MA.