Ruth Sheila Lapin

Ruth Lapin, 53, of East Windsor, New Jersey, died on September 11th in the collapse of the World Trade Center. Ruth was a Senior Business/Systems Analyst with Baseline Financial Services on the 77th floor of the South tower. She was a loving mother, wife and friend who touched the lives of many. One of her favorite ways of contributing to the community was being a Brownie and Girl Scout leader. Ruth felt that the way that she could make a big difference was by being a positive role model for children. Ruth is survived by her husband, David Chazin of East Windsor; her mother, Joan Lopatin of Freehold; her daughter, Heather Daly of South Brunswick; her son, Doug Schroeder of Charlotte, NC; her stepdaughters Sharon Glinn of Colonia, Sara Chazin of Summit and Karen Ruffin of Hampton, VA; her five grandchildren, Lea and Ethan Ruffin and Sam, Matthew and Hannah Glinn; and her brothers, Herb Lapin of Gahanna, OH, David Lapin of Baltimore, Maryland, and Alan Fischer of Hurst, Texas.
Tribute submitted by Doug Schroeder.


Ruth Lapin, 53, loved making em laugh

Ruth Lapin loved her New York Giants, good, hearty laughs and Girl Scouts camping trips. Although her children and grandchildren were all grown, Ms. Lapin was still a troop leader for the Girl Scouts until last year.

The 53-year-old East Windsor resident had a knack with youngsters and felt that working with them at an influential age was the best way she could contribute to society.

"She was very motivating to the girls," said Isabel McGincy, a fellow troop leader. "I can't say enough about the work she did for the kids."

On Sept. 10, Ms. Lapin spent the night camped out in front of a television, watching her beloved New York Giants lose to the Denver Broncos. The next morning, she kissed her husband, David Chazin, goodbye and went to work at Baseline Financial Services on the 77th floor of Two World Trade Center.

No one has heard from her since.

"I watched the building go down. I knew she was there," Chazin said.

Besides her work with the Girl Scouts, Ms. Lapin enjoyed making people laugh. So much so that she took classes in standup comedy and started doing performances in clubs several years ago.

"The thing that Ruth liked the most was making people laugh or bringing joy into their life," Chazin said.

She did this by offering free meals to homeless people in New York or giving her sleeping bag to a Girl Scouts camper after the girl's bag was soaked by a rainstorm. Ms. Lapin slept in the car that night and still managed to find humor in it.

Even though she loved her job, she already had her retirement plans mapped out. She and her husband planned to buy a bed and breakfast near Avon and open it up for guests.

"It was consistent with her whole personality," Chazin said. "She delighted in touching a lot of lives in a very positive way."

In addition to her husband, Ms. Lapin is survived by her mother, Joan Lopatin, of Freehold; a daughter, Heather Daly of South Brunswick; a son, Doug Schroeder of Charlotte, N.C.; stepdaughters Sharon Glinn of Colonia, Sara Chazin of Summit and Karen Ruffin of Hampton, Va.; five grandchildren, Lea Ruffin, Ethan Ruffin, Sam Glinn, Matthew Glinn and Hannah Glinn; and brothers Herb Lapin of Gahanna, Ohio, David Lapin of Baltimore and Alan Fischer of Hurst, Texas.

A memorial service is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. Sept. 30 at the American Hotel in Freehold.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations in Ms. Lapin's memory may be made to one or both of the following charities: Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan, 108 Church Lane, East Brunswick, N.J. 08816; or American Red Cross of Central NJ, 707 Alexander Road, Suite 101, Princeton, N.J. 08540-6399.