Ruth Sommer

Family-Placed Obituary

SOMMER, Ruth Amalia Age 88, of Dayton on March 28, 2008. Born in Frankfurt am Mein, Germany in 1920. Wife of Max Sommer, deceased. Survived by her children, Barbara (Kristi) Penny, Peter (Debby Steele) Sommer, Gail (Jim) Mills, Kim Sommer, Wendy Sommer; also her long-time companion Ed Gessel; grandchildren, Ruth Finn, Michael Penny, Sarah Brennan, Robin Virzi, Susan Vaughn, Matthew Sommer, Josh Mills, Rachel, Margot and Jordan Wayne and numerous great grandchildren. Ruth forged new ground as a parent board member for Dayton's Living Arts Program and was a board member of The Dayton Ballet Company. A lively member of Temple Israel and Hadassah, Ruth attended services, coordinated Shabbat readings and performed volunteer work. She was a docent at Dayton Art Museum and Aullwood Center. She studied creative writing and particularly enjoyed writing stories of her life. She was a Scrabble proficient, and prided herself on playing with her grandchildren, and even her nursing home director. Her most amazing accomplishment was being a bat mitzvah at age 87. Deprived of the privilege as a young Jewish woman, she decided then she would one day reach this milestone. Memorial service Friday April 4, 2008 at 11:00 at Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Drive, Dayton Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Temple Israel, Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Hadassah or Aullwood Center.