Ruth Hadzor
May 1, 1924 ~ October 30, 2020
On October 30th, the world lost an incredible woman. A mother, grandmother, great grandmother; a woman who left a lasting impression on each and every person she met. Ruth Hadzor was born on May Day, 1924, which is so fitting for a woman so beautiful and full of life, like Spring blossoms, brightening any room with her presence. But Ruth never sought attention, instead she taught the rest of us by example- how to be humble and strong; how to love without judgement; how to give without expecting anything in return.
Ruth was born and raised in Butte, Montana where her father was a miner in the Anaconda Mine. It was there that she met her future husband, Leonard Hadzor (better known as "Speed"), while working as a receptionist. Speed was a typewriter salesman and repairman and for some odd reason, Ruth's typewriter kept breaking down and the handsome repairman had to be called in to fix it quite often. They were married in 1951 in Butte and their marriage lasted for 60 years until Speed passed away in 2011. We can only imagine how happy they are to be reunited once again.
Ruth was a lifelong learner and educator. For many years, she worked as the librarian at Hillside Junior High. After receiving her master's degree in Library Sciences from Boise State University, she organized and put into place one of Boise's first computerized library systems. It's worth noting that well into her nineties, Ruth continued to make her own greeting cards on her Mac computer, texted and video chatted with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends, and up until a couple of years ago, was still taking classes at BSU- all while reading a few books a month.
Her love of learning extended into traveling with Speed on educational elder hostels where they were given the unique opportunity to learn about other cultures and create friendships with people all around the world.
Ruth was a faithful member of St. Mary's Church in Boise. Her dedication to improving the lives of the homeless and providing food for struggling families led her to volunteer for the St. Mary's Food Bank and the Idaho Food Bank, as well as the Interfaith Sanctuary.
As an excellent cook, Ruth's meals regularly brought everyone together. What would Christmas be without her seafood chowder? Or Easter Brunch without her egg dishes? Entire dinner parties were planned around enticing Ruth to bring her famous rum cake. While the rum cake was always superb, the time with her was much more precious.
Ruth is survived by five of her six children and their spouses including: Bill & Lynne Hadzor, Lynn & Jim Kimmel, Bob & Lat Hadzor, Mary Ann & Bruce Murdoch and Tom Hadzor & Jennifer Isenhart. Her son, Mark Hadzor passed away in 2019. She is survived by 17 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Ruth's Brother, Bill McDonald passed away in 2015. Ruth had a special fondness for her niece, Patty Marshall and her nephew, Chuck McDonald.
Ruth spent the past 4 years happily residing at Edgewood Plantation Place. She loved the friendships she made and appreciated the loving care she received.
In a world full of uncertainty, Ruth Hadzor made it possible to believe in hope, love, and charity. Ruth said she was leaving this world with a happy heart, knowing that her children all loved one another. She was 96 years old.
In light of the COVID pandemic, the family will not hold a memorial. Instead, they ask if you wish to honor Ruth with a donation, please consider giving to a food bank or homeless shelter in your community. And they ask that we all honor Ruth in how we live our lives- don't sweat the small stuff, embrace your loved ones, believe in them, and most importantly, tell them you love them.