When a beloved member of the Creative Pinellas community died from COVID-19, her traditional family and work-family collaborated to remember her with an exhibit of her amazing artwork and ended up inviting the community to add their loved one's belongings to the collection.
Thousands of Floridians have lost their lives over the past two years from COVID and other causes. Now, a group of art leaders in Pinellas County are working on a new way to honor, remember and cherish those who have been lost.
Pinellas County art advocate dies after COVID-19 battle
Ruley is remembered by the community
Beloved arts advocate remembered after battle with COVID-19
and last updated 2021-01-21 22:57:34-05
PINELLAS COUNTY, FL. â Scrolling through photos of Suzanne Ruley, her personality shines through. Her family said they only come in three styles: happy, goofy and chill.
âShe just kind of enjoyed life so much and helped everyone around her enjoy life at the same time,â said her husband, Matthew Ruley.
She was a passionate advocate for the arts in Pinellas County, with a heart for helping others. Sheâs now left a legacy of service behind after she died from COVID-19 last week.
Updated Jan. 16
Matthew Ruley wore protective medical gear and sat beside his wife on their 25th wedding anniversary. From her hospital room, where she was sedated due to COVID-19 complications, he called people who had been at their wedding â the bridesmaids, the woman who caught the bouquet. He held the phone to her ear.
They had met during the first rehearsal for a production of
Sweeney Todd put on by the St. Petersburg Little Theatre. And after that, they did everything as a team: facilitating meetings, serving as sounding boards on big projects, raising two kids they adopted from Kazakhstan in 2008, putting on shows, performing tunes.