Teresa “Dayle” Marybelle was the youngest of five children in the Ruthven family. She was born on October 4, 1960 to her parents Wallace and Margureta (Dailey), as well as her older siblings Wilma, David, Robert and Margot. The Ruthven family lived and farmed in Elderslie and although they moved around a bit, always remained within a few miles of Gillies Hill. Dayle attended Elderslie Central before graduating from Chesley District High School in 1978. Following high school Dayle moved to Barrie to enroll in Georgian College’s dental assistant program. After completion she worked in the city for a bit before furthering her education to become a dental hygienist.
Upon returning home, Dayle looked to enter the work force, however given the times and the rural area, not all dentists were looking for hygienists. In time she began working a few days a week at a number of dental offices that included Dr. Stephen Brown (Chesley), Dr. Cathy Mowbray (Lucknow) and Dr. Bruce Neable (Hanover). It was also during this time that Dayle began a relationship with Thomas Earl Sloan. The truth is the two knew each other for years, as the Sloan and Ruthven families were neighbours and close friends. Over the years, Tom and Dayle’s relationship grew and they were eventually married on May 25, 1984 by Rev. Walter King at the St. John’s United Church manse in Chesley.
After their marriage, the couple purchased the farm from Tom’s mother and took up residence there. Dayle absolutely loved the farm and the animals, big or small. In addition to dogs and cats, the Sloans cared for and raised a variety of animals over the years, which included dairy cows, pigs, bunnies, Clydesdale, beef cattle, llamas, alpacas and sheep. She was very much hands on as she often did chores before going to work at the dental office and then returned to the barn when she got home in the evening. She cared for every single animal and on many, many, occasions was responsible for the difficult task of nursing them back to health. Countless newborn lambs called the Sloan house home as Dayle nursed them until they were big and strong enough to return to the barn.
In 1994, Dayle and Tom welcomed their first son Jake, with younger brother Sam joining the family in 1997. Dayle loved her sons dearly and in time decided that she would home school the boys. This was no easy task as she was still working at the dental offices and helping Tom on the farm. However, she felt it was extremely important to instil in the boys her Christian beliefs, a practical education and that there was no better place to do this than at home on the farm.
When not outside helping, Dayle also enjoyed prepping food and her time in the kitchen. She was a fabulous cook, with baking being her specialty. Dayle’s tea biscuits were a favourite of the boys and she often shared her talents with her family and friends. She also enjoyed spending time outdoors, especially the Fall colours. Although not one to venture far, she and Tom took in Nashville on a couple of occasions. In her younger years, she taught Sunday School and was also active with the local dental hygiene association. In her spare time she enjoyed listening to music, particularly Celtic and old Country, always tuning into FM 93’s Sunday Night Oldies programming. She was particularly fond of the colour blue, especially when it came to vehicles and often enjoyed taking time to relax and read scripture. She also became active with the annual Terry Fox run after her mother died of cancer. Beginning in 2004, she attended the yearly run in Tobermory and continued this tradition until her death. Dayle was a strong, caring woman who enjoyed her privacy. When in the public she got along with everyone however, like all of us, could be a little strong-willed on occasion.
In 2008, Dr. Mowbray retired and Dayle decided to reduce her workload after 25 years. She remained active as a dental hygienist until November of 2014 when she was diagnosed with cancer. At this point she was given 14 days to live. Dayle was a fighter though, and this news was not going to dampen her spirits or her will to live. She soon retired from dental hygiene work and was able to enjoy her life-long goal of being a full-time farmer. She exceeded most physician’s expectations and soon began treatments. During this time her strong faith and the love and support of her family and friends helped her through the difficult days. She was also able to help Jake and Sam build their shearing business by supporting them at home as an office manager, always thinking about the others in her life rather than herself. Her fight and determination gave her an additional five years on this beautiful planet, where she treasured the little things and her additional time with Tom, Jake and Sam. Sadly, in recent months her health continued to decline and she died, surrounded by her boys, on Friday, May 17, 2019 at the age of 58. Teresa “Dayle” Marybelle (Ruthven) Sloan of R.R. #2 Chesley, passed away surrounded by her loving family, at Hanover & District Hospital on Friday, May 17, 2019 in her 59th year.
Loving wife of Tom. Cherished mother of Jake and Sam. Dayle will be dearly missed by her siblings Wilma (Mitch) Powell of London, David Ruthven of Paisley, Robert Ruthven of Elderslie Township and Margot (John) Whyte of Chesley as well as the entire Sloan family. She was predeceased by her sisters-in-law Debbie and Bonnie Ruthven and her parents Wallace and Margureta (Dailey) Ruthven.
Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Wednesday from 5 – 9 p.m. where a funeral service honouring Dayle’s life will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 2 p.m. Interment in Chesley Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to The Terry Fox Foundation would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
