Obituary of Ruth Smith

Ruth (Nigen) Smith passed away peacefully at the age of 91 years on Sunday, May 11, 2008. Ruth was born on January 21, 1917 in New York to Jacob and Fanny (Rubenstein) Nigen. She grew up in the Bronx and Washington Heights with her three older brothers, Neil, Joseph, and William. Ruth had no dream of moving to Calgary, Canada until she met and married her Canadian husband, Billy Smith in 1938. Ruth then became a member of “The Smith/Shumiatcher” family because Billy (d:1967) was one if eleven children (Abe, Eva, Morris, Annie, Harry, Sara, Ethel, Fanny, Bessie, Bella) born to Chasia and Judah Shumiatcher. Until her death, she became the last living Aunt and Matriarch of the Smith/Shumiatcher family. When Ruth’s husband Billy was alive, she worked side by side with him in a heritage landmark news and novelty store called “Billy’s News” where she was affectionately addressed as “Mrs. Billy.” Daughter Janice was born in 1941, to be followed by a second daughter, Sylvia born in 1946. After husband Billy’s passing in 1967 Ruth became a “single” working mother, by becoming a Customs Officer in a family business familiarly known as United News. She worked for twenty-five more years until she retired at age 75. Ruth explained that until computers took over, she single-handedly and without one single error, cleared every magazine herself. Ruth continued to work even after surviving the tragic deaths of her two daughters, Sylvia who passed away in April 1980, to be followed by Janice’s death in April of 1995. Ruth will be forever loved, remembered and missed by many friends and family who appreciated her wit, humour, intelligence, wisdom, generosity, emotional fortitude and for being an upstanding and highly regarded true “woman of valour”. Funeral Services will be held at the Beth Tzedec Synagogue, (1325 Glenmore Trail S.W.) on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:00 p.m. Graveside Service to follow at the Jewish Cemetery (30 Avenue & Erlton Street SW). If so desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made in Ruth Smith’s name to either the Beth Tzedec Synagogue (1325 Glenmore Trail S.W., Calgary, AB T2V 4Y8, Telephone: 255-8688) or Hadassah Wizo (1310 Greene Avenue, Suite 900 Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2B8 Canada Telephone – (514) 937-9431 Facsimile – (514) 933-6483 E-mail info@chw.ca.) Arrangements in care of the CHEVRA KADISHA OF CALGARY, North East Corner of Highway 22X & 37th Street S.W., Telephone: 244-4717.