Mother of 11 was pillar in Catholic community

Not only was Ruth Egler a civic leader in the Pittsburgh Catholic scene, she was also an “uber” homemaker.

Her son Fred Egler thinks so anyway.

“She used to do five loads of laundry a day,” Egler said. “I always said to people that if she had been born in the next generation, she would have been a CEO or a general in the Army. She was an expert at moving huge quantities of people and things. Siblings, food, clothes, anything you can imagine.”

Mrs. Egler, a lifelong Pittsburgher and devout Catholic, died Thursday at her home in Squirrel Hill. She was 88.

Raised by her religious aunt, Mrs. Egler grew up in the church and attended Catholic grade school and high school. She eventually enrolled at Rosemont College, a Catholic liberal arts college near Philadelphia, where she received a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1949.

“She had a very deep faith, and she was affected by a lot of people who were Catholic,” her son said.

Mrs. Egler was a founder of the Bishop's Medallion Ball, the annual presentation of young women who have performed charitable volunteer work to the Bishop of Pittsburgh, and was one of the founding board members of Oakland Catholic High School, to which she was elected an honorary lifetime board member in 1995.

She additionally served as president of St. Lucy's Auxiliary to the Greater Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind, and as a board member for other establishments such as Duquesne University, the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and Catholic Charities.

Despite her involvement with numerous institutions, Mrs. Egler always found time for her 11 children, her son said. Summers were spent at their Somerset County farm and family dinners were a nightly ritual. She helped with homework and said prayers: all the things that a mother does.

“She was always extremely well-organized and very thoughtful,” Egler said. “I remember once in college, I brought a friend of mine over for dinner. It was a typical Sunday night dinner for 13 of us, and him. I remember after we left, he looked at me and said ‘Wow, I could never sit down to that every night.' Every meal had to be a big production.”

She is proceeded in death by her husband, Frederick Egler. In addition to her son, Mrs. Egler is survived by daughters Mary Jo Egler, Anne Egler, Ruth Egler Hiatt, Margaret Egler, Frances Egler and Rachel Egler, and sons, John Egler, William Egler, Peter Egler and Thomas Egler.

Visitation will be held Monday and Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at John A. Freyvogel Sons in Shadyside. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to Oakland Catholic High School.

Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7822 or mczebiniak@tribweb.com.