Ruth T. (Thompson) Lesso

Ruth Thompson Lesso, 98 of Canonsburg, passed away peacefully, Tuesday, April 28, 2020 in Family Hospice (UPMC Canterbury Place) in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

She was born March 19, 1922 in Canonsburg, the youngest daughter of Herbert Bell and Grace Arvella Staley Thompson.  She grew up on their 2.5 acre farm on Cecil Street. She was the last of her immediate family.

Ruth was a 1941 graduate of Canonsburg High School and attended Penn Commercial Business/Technical School.  She trained as a Switchboard Operator with Bell Telephone and always said that if you trained with Bell Telephone, you could get a job anywhere.  She also worked at Alcoa, Pollock’s Shoe Store, Eastern Airlines, Taylor’s Pharmacy, Pike Pharmacy and Western State School and Hospital before she retired from the State of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Welfare in Washington. She was also a caretaker all her life seeing to the needs of many family members and friends.

Ruth was a longtime member of the Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church where she served as a deacon.  In October of 2019, Ruth was inducted into the Washington County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also a member of many organizations including the Jefferson College Historical Society, the Washington County Antique Bottle and Glass Club, the Duncan Miller Glass Society and the Junior Woman’s Club.

She was very social and enjoyed church lunches, talking with her friends and flea markets. She loved the Pittsburgh sports teams, especially the Pirates. She also loved watching them on TV along with Let’s Make a Deal and Jeopardy.  

On June 10, 1950 she married George G. Lesso who died Oct 3, 1998 and with whom she owned Lesso's Flowers, a small greenhouse and landscape business in the 1960’s.

Surviving are her daughter Judy L. Lesso and son-in-law Paul Worona of Pittsburgh and many nieces and nephews.  Ruth loved and will be sadly missed by her cat, Annie.

Deceased in addition to her parents are four sisters, Lois May Thompson, Marion Marchinok (Stanley), Grace Rasel (Harold) and Alice Lorraine Harris (William); and four brothers, Paul (Laura), Herbert (Phyllis), Norwood (Marian) and Noel Thompson who died in infancy.

Due to the present guidelines for the Covid-19 outbreak, arrangements will be private and have been entrusted to McIlvaine-Speakman Funeral Home Ltd. Robert K. McIlvaine, Owner/Supervisor, 27 Cherry Ave., Houston, PA 15342. 

A public memorial service will be held at a later date.

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church, 112 W. Pike Street, Canonsburg, PA 15317; the Washington Area Humane Society, P.O. Box 66, Eighty Four, PA 15330;  or the Chartiers-Houston Community Library,  730 W. Grant Street, Houston, PA 15342.

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