Ruth Wender

Ruth Wender passed away June 19th at Liberty Shores Senior Living in Poulsbo, Washington. Ruth was born in May of 1919 in Laurel, Mississippi to Sol and Bessie Wisenberg, the second of five children. From an early age Ruth had a great love of reading as well as writing which she would continue to pursue throughout her life. She was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rice University. After graduation she became a teacher, and soon after that fell in love with Simon Wender, a professor in biochemistry, who she married in 1942. Simon and Ruth were devoted to each other throughout their 60-year marriage.
Shortly after the birth of their first child, Joseph, the couple moved to Norman, Oklahoma, where the couple would live for over fifty years. Simon took the position of Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma. There the couple had two more children, Barbara and Sherri.
Ruth returned to school, and earned a Masters of Library Science from the University of Oklahoma in 1968. She became a Medical Librarian at the University of Oklahoma Medical School, where she worked on out-reach programs to help hospitals develop their own libraries. Soon she was consulting in hospitals and wrote several "how to" books, manuals, and articles on how to consult in hospitals and how to start a hospital library. At the time of her retirement in 1987 she was Associate Director of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Library and Professor of Medical Library Science.
Ruth had a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge and was always continuing to learn something new. While working at the University, Ruth continued her interest in writing, taking classes from novelist Jack Bickham. She completed several novels and had one published in hardcover, Changing Dreams, at age 78. She read the New York Times every day, keeping up with the world.
In the year 2000, Ruth and Simon moved from Oklahoma to Bainbridge Island, Washington to be close to their daughter Sherri and her husband Howard. Simon passed in March of 2002.
Her Jewish faith was important to Ruth, and she had her Bat Mitzvah ceremony at age 85 at Congregation Kol Shalom on Bainbridge Island. She was a member and volunteer at the Bainbridge Senior Center, participating in many activities including a cruise to Alaska. While living on Bainbridge Island she walked miles almost every day. When age made her unsteady, she simply used a walking stick, then a walker to continue to rack up the miles.
In 2012, Ruth moved to Victoria, BC, where Sherri and Howard had begun to spend much of their time. Ruth loved Victoria, quickly made friends, and was often outdoors walking and exploring. But sadly her time in Victoria was cut short when she suffered a stroke in 2013. She relocated to Poulsbo, WA to live at Liberty Shores Senior Living where she spent her remaining time in a lovely setting at the edge of Puget Sound, enjoying watching great blue heron, returning salmon, and a view of Mount Rainer. Even though her physical abilities were much diminished, she continued to impress everyone who interacted with her with her graciousness, generosity, optimism, and kindness. Even well into her nineties, Ruth made a point of remembering the name of virtually every person she met.
Ruth had many loves - her husband, her children, travel, swimming, walking, gardens, and books. She traveled with her family to all corners of the US, to Israel, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand with her husband and to England and Scotland with her daughter Sherri. She was deeply loved, and will be greatly missed.
Ruth is survived by her 3 children and their families: Joseph Wender and his wife Ann Colgin, Barbara Wender Rothlein and her husband Fred Rothlein, Sherri Wender and her husband Howard Todd; grandchildren Amy Wender Hoch and her husband John Hoch; Kathryn Wender Brenner and her husband Dave Brenner, Tobin Rothlein and his wife Amanda Miller Rothlein, granddaughter-in-law Lily Rothlein; great-grandchildren Nathan Hoch, Owen Brenner, and Tatum Brenner; and Ruth's dear friends Wendy Christian and Candi Cowles. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Simon and her grandson Michael Evan Rothlein and siblings Alvin Wisenberg, Avrohm Wisenberg, Sidney Pozmantier and Dorothy Levinson.
Donations in Ruth's memory may be made to Southern Poverty Law Center at www.splcenter.org


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