Gwendolyn A. Gruber

Gwendolyn A. Gruber (nee Ayer), age 86, of Anderson Twp., passed away on November 3, 2006. Gwen was the beloved wife of the late William Randolph Gruber, dear sister of the late Sterling Thornton Ayer Jr. (Junie), cherished mother of Stephanie Ann Gruber (Jim Hines), and faithful companion to many furry friends, among them Mouse, Bubbles, Elmo and Suki; the late Jazz, Rikka and Ming. Gwen, born August 19, 1920 to the late Sterling Thornton and Frances Appleton Ayer, spent her childhood in Mt. Washington, attended Withrow High School (1938) and the University of Cincinnati where she received a BA in Applied Arts (1942). She worked for several years at Cincinnati Bell, then married Bill Gruber in 1946 and they purchased their first home in Anderson Twp. Her daughter Stephanie was born in 1956 and Gwen made a career of providing a loving home for her family. She enjoyed decorating, gardening, cooking, reading, loved to walk and sew. She loved animals and there were always several furry friends residing at her home. In 2003, Gwen was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. For the next three years, Gwen fought to maintain her health but declined steadily, and finally left this world for a better place on November 3, 2006. She died peacefully in her apartment at Eastgate Village at 5:55 a.m. My mom was a generous, loving, kind woman, and a character to boot. She had a quirky sense of humor which she passed to me as well as her love of animals. She taught me that a hug was better than a hand shake, and to never discriminate against anyone. She was well loved by all that knew her. I enjoyed the time we spent together, we would go shopping, have dinner, garden, take walks, etc. She always had time for me; I loved her so much then and always will. I feel a real sense of loss and emptiness now that she's gone, and I miss her very much even though I know she is now in a place where she is free from the pain which plagued her for the past three years. Mom left me with a legacy rich in fond memories that nothing can take away. She was my best friend. A memorial service to honor and celebrate her life will be held November 10, 2006 at Craver-Riggs Funeral Home& Crematory 529 Main Street Milford, OH at 6:00 p.m. A gathering of friends and family will follow the service at the funeral home. Memorials can be made to The Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's Disease Research www.(davisphinneyfoundation.com), Vitas Hospice, Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary (513-368-4568) or The League for Animal Welfare.