Ruth Goldberg, 1908-2009
When I worked at the Globe, I could have almost have guaranteed that my grandmother could have an obit when she died, and once I asked her if she wanted one. She said no, which is a good thing, because the obit writer hasn’t returned a single e-mail I’ve sent since I departed.
This isn’t her obit, but I thought I’d record … something … this morning. She died Saturday at 100 years, 9 months, and 20 days. It was the 39th anniversary of my bar mitzvah, which means that from here on out, in my totally subjective view of the world, D-Day is now the third-most notable thing to have happened on that date.
In the month before she came into the world, Peary set sail for the North Pole, revolution raged in the Turkish empire, and the forerunner of the FBI was established. In the month after, the first person to die in an airplane crash perished, with Orville Wright at the controls. And before she was two months old, the Cubbies won the World Series for the last time, so far. Also in ‘08: Taft beat Bryan for the presidency, and those who also came into the world included Milton Berle, Henri Cartier-Bresson (five days after), LBJ, Roger Tory Peterson, Richard Wright, JK Galbraith, Jimmy Stewart, Mel Blanc, and Ian Fleming. All of them departed before she did.
Ruth dated Eddy Duchin, who found prominence later as a band leader, but she married Sol Goldberg of Lynn on March 4, 1930. She had two daughters, Joan and Lois, and all factors considered, it wasn’t a successful family unit. Solly was the dominant member, and he did many impressive things, including starting a business in the year of the Depression that survives today. Ruth was his bookkeeper at the start.
They liked to socialize, and not seldomly went down to New York to sample the nightlife. They had a good social circle around Salem as well. For years, they were in a supper club of eight couples, and she was its last surviving member by more than a decade. In her birth family, her younger sister Evelyn of Framingham is now the sole survivor.
Family lore has it that on one trip to the Manhattan, Solly and Ruth attended Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. I know that at least Solly attended the ‘61 Series between the Yankees and the Reds, because the shirt I got is one of my earliest memories. I was 3 that year.
Ruth didn’t start off loving baseball, but she later related that Solly told her she ought to get to like it, because that’s where he was going to be found. For decades after his death in 1978, baseball continued as an interest, and one of her last excursions out of the house was to a game last year in which she went onto the field, to be recognized as a fan in her 100th year. For years, I’d print out the Globe’s month-by-month Sox schedules at 150 percent, so Mama Ruth could read them, and make team rosters so she could tell the players.
Ruth was an active member of life for many years, having served as an officer in the temple sisterhood, the area’s Hadassah, and a volunteer at Salem Hospital. She played mah jongg (I have her well-yellowed tiles), played golf (not avidly, that I know of), and was still playing card games into her last year. She traveled fairly widely.
She was a knitter, and went through a needle jag a couple of years ago where she knit scarves for “everyone,” and at my request, did a blanket for our child. It sits, folded and waiting, in the baby’s crib, which is otherwise empty. We were excited, at one time, to think that they would meet and forge a link that stretched from 1908 into the 22d century possibly, but that wasn’t to be. Still, she or he will be warmed by Mama Ruth’s hand, just as I was many times.
We got to be friends after I moved back to Massachusetts in the early ’80s. I lived for a few weeks in my parents’ home, which was under agreement to someone else. Mama Ruth brought by a load of groceries as a housewarming, and when I remarked how nice that was, she said, “well, I’m a nice person.” And she was. We were close, and grew closer, from that point on.
Her funeral is Wednesday, and I’m going to speak about her for the family, an honor I don’t take lightly. I don’t know if I’ll return here to share what I say, which will be extemporaneous, but for now, for the purposes of this post, I feel finished.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Did she travel outside the U.S. too? I was wondering that yesterday…
June 9th, 2009 at 3:12 am
She sure did and I once had quite a large collection of dolls in native costume which I got as gifts from her from each of the places she travelled.
July 24th, 2009 at 3:17 am
they married february 4, not march. they went to nyc on their honeymoon, but it snowed so hard, they had to stay in boston the first night at the Essex Hotel, right across from south station. no longer there, but neither is the street.
travelling: she went to copenhagen, amsterdam, and israel, all on the same trip with 3 other women. i dont remember anyplace beyond that, except bermuda with solly, once.
they were at the larsen game. solly went to the world series every year with 3 other men from lynn for many years, 20 or so.
the doll collection was mine which i gave you. i have one doll left. it’s in my bedroom. she was not my favorite, but she is what i have.
they went to nyc every january to a trade show. lumber, appliances. he owned another company: newburyport lumber company. she shopped with the best eye. she bought hats, particularly, but everything.
the one big story from that was the “diamond bracelet.” they walked on 5th avenue and in the window of cartier saw a bracelet. assuming it was diamonds, they went in nevertheless to look at it. it turned to be rhinestone, $20.00, and he bought it for her. it was stolen in their one robbery.
she was president of both hadassah and the sisterhood. she was treasurer of 5 different organizations, all at the same time. she was a great bookkeeper.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I received your email celebrating the birth of your son Joseph and I wanted to catch up on your life through your blog. I was so sorry to learn that your grandmother Ruth passed away in June, but your remembrance of her was beautifully written. I remember her from many years ago, a very vital lady. She lived a busy, long life, as my mother did. As you know, Mary died at 101 in December. I was very grateful that you were at her funeral and we reconnected there. Now with Joseph’s birth the circle of life goes on. For everything there is a season, and now is your time for joy.