Ruth E. (Chirillo) Sabbag

Ruth (Chirillo) Sabbag passed away peacefully on Monday, July 7, 2025 after a brief battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family in her final days, a blessing some don’t get.

The first of seven children, Ruth was born in Weymouth. Her family moved to Hull when she was a teenager, where she has remained ever since. Ruth raised a beautiful family with her husband Jimmy during their 48-year marriage. Ruth had two loves: her family and Nantasket beach.

Ruth’s life was marked by the way she lived for others. She worked for over 20 years at South Shore Educational Collaborative where she served as an aide for school-aged children with severe developmental needs. Ruth fought through her school days, sometimes literally, but was happy to do it to give families the support they needed for their children.

While Ruth was known by many nicknames – Ru, Ruthie, and Rooster – her favorite nickname by far was Grammy. Ruth spent the last twenty years of her life wholly dedicated to her eight grandchildren. She spent summers dragging them to the beach, covering them in sunscreen, scouring the beach for sea glass, and instilling in them a love of the sand and the surf. Her favorite moments were back up on her deck, cleaned up but sun-kissed, setting out cheese and crackers with one or two of the grandkids and sorting through sea glass treasures while waiting for the rest of the family to come back.

Ruth is survived by her husband James Sabbag of Hull; son Jamie Sabbag (Ashley Cahoon) of Hull and their children Dylan, Ariana, and James; daughter Kristin Kaufman (Michael) of Bloomfield, NJ and their children Elias, James, and Penelope; and daughter Rachael Reilly (Brian) of Oxford, MA and their children Lincoln and Amelia. She also leaves behind three sisters Marie, Tahnya, and Rhonda and her brother Tom "TJ", many nieces and nephews, and countless friends. Ruth was predeceased by her parents, her brother Larry, and her sister Valerie.

Ruth’s Funeral Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday July 12, 2025 at The Church of St John of Damascus 300 West St. Dedham. Visitation will be held in the Church on Friday July 11, 2025 from 5 to 8 p.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ruth’s memory to the Church.  Please see the link below under DONATIONS. Florists: please deliver flowers into the front door of the Church Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Ruth will be laid to rest at Village Cemetery in Hull, followed by a traditional meal of mercy.

Church of St. John of Damascus
300 West St., Dedham MA 02026
Web: http://www.stjohnd.org