Mary Ruth Guilloud had a passion for people and a love of education that spanned a lifetime. A teacher for nearly 28 years, Mrs. Guilloud shared that love with many.

"Ruth was a very outgoing person and was a friend to just about everyone she met," said her husband, Rudy. "She had a very giving heart."

Mrs. Guilloud, of Franklin Park, and formerly of Texas, died last Sunday of cancer at UPMC Passavant in McCandless. She was 77.

She started her teaching career in 1959 in Texas, where she taught for 1 1/2 years at Tom Bean and four years at Port Lavaca. After her husband's job with Alcoa led to a transfer to the Pittsburgh region, she taught preschool at the North Hills YMCA for several years.

Eventually, she began substitute teaching in the North Allegheny School District, where she was offered a full-time position teaching home economics. She taught in the district for 22 years, at the middle school, intermediate high school and high school.

Mrs. Guilloud continued educating herself as well. She attended evening and weekend classes at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, earning a master's equivalent in home economics.

Her interest in education overflowed into the organizations in which she became involved.

After her retirement from the public school system, she joined the Philanthropic Women's Education organization. Her husband's sister had been a member in Texas.

"Ruth was always interested, but never had time to do it then,'' he said. "But when my sister died, she joined as a way to honor her memory."

Mrs. Guilloud did a lot of fundraising for the organization.

Mrs. Guilloud was a member of the Memorial Park Presbyterian Church since 1965. She served as a deacon, taught Sunday school, and led a small group Bible study with her husband for more than 15 years.

Although they lived in the area for many years, Mrs. Guilloud still had a Southern accent, a trait Mr. Guilloud loved about her.

The couple met at a party while she was a senior in high school and he was a sophomore. They didn't date exclusively at first, but when Mr. Guilloud realized she was the one for him, he wasted no time in asking her to marry him.

"I was home on leave from the Army, and I had known for about six months I wanted to marry her, so I asked her," he said. "She was sure a loving wife and an incredible person."

In addition to her husband of 57 years, Mrs. Guilloud is survived by a daughter, Janet Morris, of Everett, Bedford County; a son, Jerry, of Georgia; a sister, Ora Fay McClain, of Texas; and four grandchildren.

The funeral was Friday morning at Memorial Park Presbyterian Church, Hampton.