Ruth Barnett Halman

1941 - 2021

Long time UCR Reference Librarian, Ruth Barnett Halman passed away in San Bernardino, CA on February 16, 2021. She was born on June 8, 1941 on board an evacuation ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Her mother, Ruth Hicks Kappes was a school teacher on Corregidor and was evacuated. Her father, George Kappes, an Army officer stationed on Corregidor was captured. He was killed when his transport ship was attacked. Ruth's mother later married Gerard Halman, who adopted Ruth. Ruth was raised on a dairy farm in San Jacinto. She graduated from St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Riverside, CA and Wheeling College in Wheeling, West Virginia. She received her library degree from USC. She started her career at the UCR Library in 1967. She spent the rest of her career in the Reference Department at UCR, becoming Head of Reference for part of that time. At UCR she was known for her intelligence, quick wit, kindness and professional skill. She helped generations of UCR students and retired in 2002. Her wide ranging interests included movies, gardening, anthropology, whales and the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico. She traveled to Mexico, Morocco, China and Iran. She took a trip that followed the ancient Silk Road. She loved reading and collecting books. She had many beautiful pottery pieces, some of which she was able to take to her last retirement home. She is survived by her sister Edie Halman Koster, Sherwood, OR and Edie's two daughters Laura Greenhaw and Kristian Ruth Wilson both of Oroville, CA and grandnephew Jake Greenhaw, his sister Sarah Cruz, both of Newberg, OR and Karma Rodriguez of Florida, two step sisters, Toni Haflinger, Twin Falls, OR and Terri Kasbergen, Visalia, CA. Funeral and burial arrangements are delayed due to COVID.