Tribute

My mom Ruthann, pictured here in 1981 with her husband Billy of 41 years is now in Heaven and free of pain. She was born and raised outside of Buffalo, NY. Growing up she had horses and dogs and has always loved animals. Mom attended college locally and went on to work at the family business: International Exterminators for most of her adult life. She loved to travel and enjoyed several trips to Mexico. She loved to ski. She and Billy took many trips with the Lederhosen Ski Club as well as skied locally almost every weekend in the winter. She made life-long friends and formed lasting friendships. During the summer she enjoyed boating on Lake Chautauqua on our Sea Ray named the Satin Doll. When we weren’t at the lake, she & Billy would be on their Harley Davidson exploring NY. She was a breast cancer survivor since 1995. She was the strongest, most courageous woman I knew. In early 2009 she and Billy moved to Prescott Valley, AZ for retirement along with their parrot named Freddie. Shortly thereafter she was ready to open her heart up to another dog. Along came Bella the Pomeranian. During the next almost 8 years she got to enjoy her horses, Dakota & Cole. They were everything to her. She was a member of the Granite Mountain Riders which included the drill team where she again made lifelong friends with whom she shared many memories. Mom became a grandma in 2018 to her granddaughter, Madison. That was one of her proudest moments in life. They had a special bond. We all loved her very much. She was feisty, fearless, and non-stop. She loved unconditionally. I will forever miss my beautiful, loving mother Ruthann.

Friends & Family

She is preceded in death by her parents Ruth & Bill Pickhardt as well as her 3 older brothers: Bill Jr., Jack, & Tim. She is survived by her husband Billy, daughters Christin (Tony) Ketchu & Stacey (Dan) Duggan, granddaughter Madison Ruth Ketchu, several nieces and nephews, and many friends.