July 22, 2016 was one of the most difficult days of Ruth Wannemacher’s life.
Her husband Dan, a well known Kingston businessman and owner of Family Funworld, suddenly passed away from a heart attack at the age of 59.
Grieving, Ruth says she knew had to show up and run the business’ drive-in that night.
“At about 6 o’clock at night I turned to my oldest and said ‘We’ve got to go to Funworld.’ She looked and me and said ‘I know mom.’ There was no question, no hesitation we had to go. And on the drive here it was surreal.”
Despite the difficulty of going there that night, Ruth said the response she got once she arrived was heart-warming.
“The weekend people that had worked for us when they were teenagers were showing up and making popcorn, it was pretty amazing that show of support that we had.”
Ruth is no stranger to the business world – she also owns Putt ‘n’ Blast in Kingston’s Frontenac Mall – but she says running the drive-in, go-kart track and mini putt that are also on the drive-in grounds was a steep learning curve.
“Knowing how to work the projectors and what to do if something goes kafooy right. That was all Dan.”
Since then Ruth has updated the electrical at the drive-in and added debit machines, which she says has opened the drive-in up to more millennial customers.
Ruth says in some ways her husband’s dream for the business has become a dream of her own.
“I think he’d be shocked, I really do but on the other hand I know he’d be really proud of us.”
Ruth says she has no plans of retiring Dan’s business, and hopes it will live on for many years to come.