Obituary of Ruth Smith

Ruth Smith, longtime resident of Santa Cruz, died peacefully in her sleep on September 22nd. She was 90 years old. Ms. Smith had a long and rich life. Born in Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic, she enjoyed a privileged and happy childhood with her parents and only brother, Marcel. That changed abruptly with the German invasion of World War II, which threw her existence into chaos. It was in the aftermath of the war, 1946, when Ruth met the love of her life, John Smith. John played basketball representing the U.S. Army, in a match in Prague in which Marcel represented the Czechs. At a masquerade ball celebrating the event, Ruth and John began their half-century together. Moving slowly westward, John and Ruth enjoyed time in Levittown, NY, and Kansas City before settling in John's hometown of Santa Cruz. Together with their beloved dachshund Fritzie, they enjoyed all the Central Coast has to offer. John preceded Ruth in death in 1999. Ruth was an avid golfer, and regular swimmer at La Madrona, where she charmed members and staff alike. It was at La Madrona that Ruth recently celebrated her 90th birthday, surrounded by dear friends, both longstanding and recent. Ruth is survived by her only living relatives, her niece, Ilona Kokova and her great niece Barbora Kokova, both of the Czech Republic, and by her best friend and trusted confidante, Jennifer DeToy of Santa Cruz. In lieu of flowers, donations to Santa Cruz County Hospice are graciously suggested.