Surrounded by family, Madeline Ruth Rudner died Monday, January 14, 2019 at the age of 88 in Canton, Ohio.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Allan J. Rudner.

Mady was born on March 15, 1930, in Wheeling, W.Va. She studied nursing at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and then met the love of her life, Allan. They married and lived most of their lives in Canton, where she worked as a nurse, a bookkeeper for Allan Drugs and most important, she was the mother of three boys.

She was an active member of the Jewish community serving as president of Hadassah and participating in many activities at the Canton Jewish Center and Shaaray Torah Synagogue.

She wasn't that crazy cat lady who could never say no to a Siamese or tabby or shorthair, but she had plenty of cats, mostly collectibles that were on display around her home. Of course, she adopted her share of real felines, including Louie, Mavis, Tootsie, Cookie, Thomas, Miko and her favorite Pumpkin.

Mady was born with a green thumb. It didn't matter where she lived, Mady could turn a pile of soil into a beautiful, beaming garden with perennials that would bloom magnificent colors making her garden the envy of many and an every-day stop for those walking in the neighborhood.

While she was extremely proud of her gardens, it was needlepoint that became her passion and obsession. Mady became well known for her needlepoint mastery. With meticulous and fastidious patience, along with an eye for flair, her needlepoint creations jumped off the canvas, earning her numerous awards. Some of her work still can be found at the Windsor Medical Center where she lived the last years of her life.

If Mady wasn't involved in needlepoint, you could bet she was reading a book. She had a voracious appetite for reading and could read three or four novels at a time. She had no time for trashy novels; there were just too many other stories to read. She liked nonfiction – especially stories that involved Canton – as well as historic-based fiction.

And like any other grandmother, she loved her grandchildren very much. She didn't care that Brad works for the University of Michigan (Mady was a die-hard Ohio State fan), nor did it bother her that her youngest granddaughter, Lexi, went to Nebraska and became a Cornhusker. She didn't live long enough for Corey, a commercial pilot, to fly her to Las Vegas to play her favorite slot machine, which probably topped her bucket list. Her oldest granddaughter, Lea, a dental hygienist, never had a chance to make Mady's teeth shine, but there was a special bond between grandmother and the first Rudner woman born in half a century.

Mady is survived by Mark and Sue Rudner of Schaumburg, Ill., Dennis and Diane Rudner of Las Vegas, NV., Steve Rudner of Dallas and grandchildren Brad of Ann Arbor, Mich., Lea Rudner of Austin, Texas, Corey of Chicago, Lexi of Lincoln, Nebraska, Ray Baldonado of Las Vegas, Tamra Garcia of Fort Worth, Texas, and Myla and Bryan of New Mexico.

The Rudner family is grateful for the compassionate and loving care provided by the staff and aides at Windsor Medical Center and Crossroads Hospice. Also, special thanks go out to Dr. Beth Prosser.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday Jan. 16, followed by a luncheon at noon at Shaaray Torah Synagogue.

The family asks that donations be made to the Fishel and Allan Rudner Maztoh Fund, 432 30th St. N.W., Canton, OH. 44709.