Ruth Hoffman died peacefully after a brief illness on Nov. 8, 2016. She was 90 years old.
Ruth was born and grew up in Los Angeles, the sixth child of Romanian immigrants, Rudolph and Cecilia Kaufman. She graduated from L.A. High School with high honors and soon thereafter met the love of her life, Harland J. Hoffman, relocating and settling in San Francisco.
After working as a professional secretary for two years she changed gears to raise her three children. She loved knowledge for knowledge’s sake and had keen interests in general medicine and early childhood development. Ushering lives was her passion: raising three children, seven grandchildren, two small dogs, and flowering African violet and orchid plants. She socialized over mahjong and bridge games, dinners out and theater performances. She enjoyed cooking and trying out new dishes.
She lost Harland, her lifelong companion of 58 years, to pancreatic cancer in 2004. After continuing to live in San Francisco for another eight years, she then relocated to a San Mateo senior independent living community. In her last two years, she required full-time help, so moved into a care facility.
She is survived by her children Scott Hoffman (Mary), Noreen Lupole, Craig Hoffman (Deborah) and daughter-in-law Linda Hoffman; grandchildren Jarrett Hoffman, Katie Troia (Nick), Rachel Lupole, Lindsay Nichols (Nolan), Jessia Hoffman, Gabe Hoffman and Jake Hoffman; as well as great-granddaughters Lauren and Emily Troia and many more loving family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her siblings, Bert Kaufman, Taube Whitehead, Selma Cohen, Sam Kaufman and Robert Kaufman. Donations in Ruth’s memory may be made to Hebrew Free Loan, Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco or Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
Sinai Memorial Chapel
(650) 369-3636
Ruth Lois Kelson Rafael passed away peacefully at the age of 87 on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, in Tiburon.
Ruth was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. She spent much of her younger years living across the south and in Colorado until arriving in San Francisco at the age of 17 with nothing but $7 and a bag of plums. She built a life for herself in the City and in 1951 married Richard Vernon Rafael. They were married for 58 years until Richard’s death in 2010.
Ruth received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in language arts from San Francisco State College, and a master’s degree in library science from the University of California at Berkeley.
Ruth was instrumental in starting the Congregation Beth Shalom library in San Francisco. She was also the librarian and lead archivist for the Western Jewish History Center at the Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley for 26 years. That position allowed her to combine her life’s passions for history, the arts, and the oral and written word. She was a lifelong lover of poetry, and along with two of her aunts, authored “Relatively Speaking,” a book of poems. Her other passion was traveling. She and Richard traveled to many places across the world but her favorite was Jerusalem. Though she traveled widely, she had a great love for the Bay Area and its cultural diversity.
She is preceded in death by her husband Richard and great grandson Rico Martinez. She is survived by her daughters Brenda Derin and Barbara Yates; and son-in-law Lee Derin; grandchildren Adelida Raymer, Jeanette Martinez and Jacob Derin; and great-grandchildren Trent Roades, Shane Priddy and Kyryn Van Diver.
Services were held at Sinai Memorial Chapel in San Francisco. Donations may be made in Ruth’s memory to Hospice by the Bay and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
Sinai Memorial Chapel
(415) 921-3636