Suzy McCoy Shriner once asked her friend, Indian River and Brevard County philanthropist and community activist Barbara Ruddy, to describe herself.
“She said, ‘the Energizer Bunny,’” recalled Shriner. “It was perfect and completely accurate. Her energy is boundless, her spirit contagious and her dedication unwavering.”
Indeed, chatting with Ruddy is a delightful rollercoaster ride through an amusement park of subjects: from her collection of African artifacts to the gustatory pleasures found in the Irish corned beef pockets served at Vero Beach’s Kilted Mermaid neighborhood pub. The thread that unites the conversation is Ruddy’s passion for helping others…