Ruth L. Oceanak, age 86 years, of Breinigsville, PA, died on Monday, January 16, 2017 at Lehigh Center, Macungie, PA after a long illness.

Born in Doylestown, PA, August 13, 1930, daughter of the late Horace and Ida Michener LaRue, she had formerly resided in Ashboro, NC and for many years prior to that in Sand Brook, NJ where she was affectionately known as “Mom” or “Aunt Ruth” to all of the neighborhood children. The Oceanak house was the “home base” where all of the local children would gather under her watchful eye. Her love of family and friends made her well suited for this role and is but one of her lasting legacies.

A 1948 graduate of Doylestown High School, Ruth married her husband, a widower named Alexander Oceanak on December 1, 1962. With that marriage came a new role not only as wife, but also as mother to two infant children, Thomas and Patricia.  She embraced this role and all the responsibilities that came with it with a grace and dignity that ensured that the two were always treated as her own. Together, she and Alex had another son, David, to help complete the new family. Homemaker is a title Ruth took to heart and she never lost the mother spirit, but rather gained an even grander title as she saw it, that of grandmother to her four cherished grandchildren.

Simply put, Ruth was a gentle soul who preferred to stay in the background. She got great joy from doing needlework that would make others happy. She loved animals and would always take in strays, much to her husband’s dismay. You could find Ruth the happiest when she was at the flea market with her son, David, selling all of her handcrafted items that she made with the loving touch that is the manifestation of her soul.

In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by a brother, Horace LaRue.

Surviving are her children, Thomas and wife, Susan Oceanak of Vernon, NJ, Patricia Oceanak and her longtime companion, Vincent DiBianca of Stockton, NJ and David Oceanak of Allentown, PA; her four grandchildren, Jessica Keener, Chris Leitner, Nicole Oceanak and Tommy Oceanak; and several extended family members and friends.

A celebration of Ruth’s life will take place on Thursday, January 19, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. in Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

Burial in the family plot will follow in Mechanicsville Cemetery, Mechanicsville, PA.

The family will receive friends on Thursday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the funeral home.

Everyone is invited to visit Ruth’s permanent memorial site at www.wrightfamily.com to send a public or private message of condolence and to share stories and photographs of her life.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to do so may make memorial contributions in Ruth’s honor to the Divine Lineage Healing Center. If you are so inclined, there are various specific programs available to support by clicking HERE.