Ruth Mears Mott

Ruth Marie Mears Mott was born in Ballardvale, Massachusetts, to Clyde and Muriel (Ormsby) Mears. She left this world on September 19, 2025, shortly after celebrating her 94th birthday with family, cake, and her favorite Benson's ice cream.

From an early age, Ruth was a woman ahead of her time. A graduate of Punchard High School in Andover, she went on to earn an associate degree from Westbrook College (now the University of New England) in 1951. She remained deeply connected to her classmates, serving for many years as class president and helping to organize reunions.

After college, Ruth moved to Boston, living on Beacon Hill and working as a comptometer operator—a pioneering role in early business computing. There she met Albert ("Al") Mott; they married in June 1955 after his service in the Korean War. The young couple began married life and started their family in Malden. In 1963, seeking a quieter place to raise their daughters, they settled in Topsfield, which became home.

Ruth was a devoted mother to Claudia and Alison. She led Brownies and Girl Scouts, sewed band sashes for the Proctor School, and made curtains for the ABC House. She stood at the rail for countless horse shows—often the one behind the costumes and always the one exhaling with relief when she heard the horses cross the bridge into the backyard after long rides. She gave generously of her time as an usher at the Music Theatre in Beverly and as a volunteer at the Topsfield Fair.

In the mid-1970s Ruth began a long career with H&R Block, where she rose to manage the Danvers office. In a field not yet known for welcoming women leaders, she built a 25-plus-year reputation for integrity and client trust before eventually opening her own practice serving preferred clients. At age 85, having kept pace with ever-changing software and regulations, Ruth chose retirement on her own terms. Among her proudest professional accomplishments was passing a demanding IRS competency exam in 2012—an achievement few attained. When tax season ended, she brought the same organizational skills to her work with the Topsfield Fairgrounds, contracting vendors and supporting the community.

Ruth's hands were rarely idle. She learned to knit as a Girl Scout and kept at it for more than nine decades—often clicking away without even looking—creating sweaters for children and grandchildren, blankets for hospitals, and hats for children in Nepal through the BlinkNow organization. She was also known for her keen fashion sense, always presenting herself with quiet elegance. In quieter moments, she delighted in needlepoint, crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, bringing the same patience and precision to her pastimes that she brought to her profession.

With her longtime partner, Alfred Rousseau, Ruth traveled widely throughout the United States and abroad, by air, on ocean liners, and along intimate river routes—collecting stamps in well-worn passports and memories with friends, especially within the North Shore jazz community.

Ruth was predeceased by her husband Albert W. Mott. She is survived by her daughters, Claudia Mott (NJ) and Alison DeMarco (MA), and Alison's partner, Matthew Callahan. She was "Grandmother" to Brian (and his wife, Lindsay), Scott (and his wife, Emily), Jeffery (and his wife, Sarah), Christopher, Andrew (and his wife, Jenna), and Emily (and her fiancé, Mark). She was "GG" to her cherished great-grandchildren: Olivia, Peyton, Max, and Brooke. She also leaves her partner and devoted caretaker, Alfred Rousseau.

A celebration of Ruth's life will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at The Commons 1854, 4 North Common Street, Topsfield. Brunch will be served. In Ruth's honor, guests are invited—if they wish—to wear something purple, her favorite color.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
The Friends of the Topsfield Council on Aging, P.O. Box 173, Topsfield, MA 01983, or University of New England (formerly Westbrook College), c/o Institutional Advancement, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME 04103, or online at www.une.edu/givenow