Rullie Ann Suda

Rullie Ann Suda, age 88, died on Friday, May 9, 2025, at her home in the company of loving family. Rullie was born Aurelia Anne Korynta on August 8,1936 in the Polish farming community of Ardoch, North Dakota. She was the eldest of 11 children of the late Dick and Mae (Riske) Korynta.

Since there wasn’t a public school close to the family farm, when she was only 5, Rullie left home to begin her education at the Convent School of St. Anthony’s in Warsaw, ND. She lived with the nuns during the week. Being left handed, she learned to write with her right hand. Rullie was an avid learner, excelled at school, and skipped several lower grades before graduating from the Academy of St. James in Grand Forks, ND with the Class of 1953. She received her North Dakota Elementary Teaching Certification in 1954, and taught elementary through 8th grade students in Grand Forks County, including teaching in a one room schoolhouse. She continued to teach until after she married. Over the next 8 years, Rullie gave birth to 8 children, six survived.

With six children to raise, Rullie focused on being an amazing mother and wife, and providing a stable home environment for the family as they moved from North Dakota, to California, to upstate New York, to Long Island, New York. Once the kids were old enough to do laundry and cook dinners, Rullie resumed her academic aspirations.

In 1974, Rullie earned her Associate in Arts degree from Suffolk County Community College, SUNY, with honors; she completed her Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Empire State College, and received her Teaching Certification through grade 6 in New York State in 1978; she was awarded a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, and a Public Librarian’s Professional Certificate in 1983; she received her School Media Specialist (Library) in1985 from the University of the State of New York.

In addition to furthering her education, parenting her children, supporting her husband, and being actively involved in many church, community, and political initiatives, Rullie worked at the Shoreham-Wading River Middle School Library from 1974-1982.

When Sylvester accepted an appointment to the IAEA in Vienna, Austria, Rullie followed him there and worked as a librarian at the International American School for 3 years. When they returned to Long Island from Vienna, Rullie accepted a position at the Tangier Smith Elementary School in the William Floyd School District. She had a flair for engaging her students with dramatic book readings, complete with costumes, puppets, props, and background information. Because the school district had limited funds for programming, Rullie taught herself to write grants, which funded programs to bring well-known authors and illustrators of children’s books to the school to work with students and staff. Her creativity and initiative were cherished by all who worked with her, and were sorely missed when she retired.

In addition to being an avid reader, researcher, and poet, Rullie was an excellent seamstress, a constant gardener, a prolific knitter, and a lifelong registered Democrat. As a storyteller with a research librarian’s memory, Rullie had a unique gift for sharing her love of literature, history, art, music, opera and dance, culture, food, flowers and trees, and everything that interested her. She had an insatiable thirst for knowledge that never stopped, a curiosity she gifted to her grateful family.

Rullie was married to the love of her life, Sylvester C. Suda, for 69 years. They met at a dance when she was 15 and he was 18. She was his partner, anchor, soul mate and inspiration. She spent much of her life traveling the globe with him, savoring the food, drink, history and art of all cultures. She shared her adventures with all who would listen and inspired family and friends to “welcome angels unawares.”

Rullie is survived by her loving children, Mark (Julie) Suda, Luke (Joan) Suda, Mary Suda, John (Linda O’Brien) Suda, Anne (Stephen) Mahoney and Jane (Derek Cheever) Suda; her adored grandchildren, Daniel (Catherine Saenz) Suda, Matthew Suda, Paul (Anneliese) Suda, Michael Suda, Adam (Savannah) Suda, Johnathan Harrison, Rachel (John Henry DeRivera) Harrison, Devon (Sam Ejnes) Mahoney, Megan Mahoney, Brendan Mahoney, Sylvia Cheever (Jason King) and Lillian Cheever (Adrian Greensmith); and her great-grandchildren, Luke, Dagmara, and Maeve Suda, and Owen Ejnes; and her dear siblings Marlene Flicek, Ray Korynta, Dale Korynta, Joy Wesolowski, Arnie Korynta, Dennis Korynta, Sheri Armbrust, Gene Korynta, and Rick Korynta.

In addition to her parents, Rullie is preceded in death by her beloved husband Sylvester Suda, her son Matthew Suda, her granddaughter Ruth Suda, and her brother, Earl Korynta.

Mass of Chrisitan Burial will be Friday, July 18, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, Veseleyville, ND.  Visitation will be Thursday from 5-7 PM with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at the Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton.  Friends may call at the church on Friday for one hour prior to the service at the church in Veseleyville.  Inurnment will be at the St. Luke’s Catholic Cemetery, Veseleyville, ND.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution made to the American Library Association ( https://ec.ala.org/donate) .