Ruth Ehrlich

1913 - 2018

Ruth Ehrlich was born on Nov. 16, 1913, and passed away on Aug. 1, 2018; she was 104. She was an artist in different mediums, a wife, a mother, a good friend and the beloved elder of five generations living in Anchorage, Alaska.
Born in New York City to Hyman and Esther Rubin, she graduated from Hunter College in mathematics. She worked as a statistician under NYC Mayor LaGuardia, but found it boring and switched to social work.
In 1943, she married Albert Ehrlich a meteorologist in the Army Air Corps. They arrived in Anchorage the winter of 1949. Their homesite on Campbell Creek provided stories that have kept the family in laughter for years - Try to hand auger a well through a very large hill of very fine sand.
The military took them to Kansas and England. Later, they lived in New Jersey and Arizona. She enjoyed new adventures, painting, camping, designing and creating intricate cloisonne.
In 2015, she returned to Anchorage to live with her daughter; she was cared for by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by daughter, Judith "Julie" Renwick of Anchorage; son, Kenneth Ehrlich and Babiche Slack of New Jersey; grandchildren, Richard Renwick (Faith), Mary Renwick and Pamela Stevens, all of Anchorage and Joe Bongartz of New Hampshire; great-grandchildren, Jamie, Victoria, Lindsey and Steven Etukeok and Monica Larsen, all of Anchorage, Michael Renwick (Zamira) of Wasilla, Alaska, and Anna Bongartz of Michigan; and great-great-grandchildren, Ethan and Dawson. She loved her extended family, who are too many to name. She is predeceased by her parents; husband; and sister, Hilda Hollyer.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Aug. 25, 2018, from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., at Cremation Society of Alaska, 7216 Lake Otis Parkway.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Special Olympics Alaska, 3200 Mountain View Drive, Anchorage, AK 99501.