Obituary: Ruth Sabbag

Ruth (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, and she has remained ever since. Mrs. Sabbag raised a beautiful family with her husband Jimmy during their 48-year marriage. Mrs. Sabbag had two loves: her family and Nantasket Beach.

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

While Mrs. Sabbag was known by many nicknames – Ru, Ruthie, and Rooster – her favorite nickname by far was Grammy. Mrs. Sabbag spent the last 20 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.

Mrs. Sabbag 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, N.J. and their children Elias, James, and Penelope; and daughter Rachael Reilly (Brian) of Oxford, 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. Mrs. Sabbag was predeceased by her parents, her brother Larry, and her sister Valerie.

Services will be held at St. John of Damascus Church, 300 West St, Dedham, with a viewing on Friday, July 11, at the church from 5-8 p.m. and funeral service on Saturday, July 12 at 10 a.m. The burial will be at Hull Village Cemetery and there will be a meal of mercy to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. John of Damascus Church.