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Ruth Elizabeth Bergeron, a long-time resident of Schenectady, died at Ellis Residential and Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. She was 95 years old. Ruth was an inspiration - a woman whom many admired, and for good reason. She was - in a word - a force . . . Born Ruth Ann Kenworthy on March 27, 1927 in Rochester, New York to Harold and Olive Kenworthy - she grew up an only child in New Bedford, MA. She often told stories of how she loved to tag along with her father, a local artist and teacher, to watch him while he sketched and painted the wharves of New Bedford - which was likely a building block for her deep appreciation for art.After graduating from public high school, Ruth attended Pembroke College - the coordinate womens college of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island where she earned a BA in Biology. While working on her graduate degree in Biology and Chemistry, she met her husband, John. After graduating, they married in 1952. John took a job at Brookhaven National Laboratory and they moved to Yaphank Long Island. In the mid-1960s, Ruth, John, and their 3 boys moved to Schenectady where John joined the GE R&D Center as a research scientist and Ruth taught science at a local high school in Schenectady for a couple of years. A self-confessed "political junkie," Ruth was a long-time member of the League of Women Voters (serving as vice president for a time). She became the first woman to run city-wide as a Democrat for a seat on the City Council in the early 1970s. She lost by a very narrow margin. Quite a feat at that point in time.Eventually, Ruth became the Deputy City Clerk in the City of Schenectady for several years. She then decided to become a paralegal by way of The Philadelphia Graduate Paralegal Institute after which she worked at a law firm in Schenectady for a couple of years. She then moved to the Law Department at City Hall where she worked until her retirement at the age of 70.Ruth was a very active resident of Schenectady for many years, serving on boards for the Schenectady Heritage Foundation (where her legal experience was invaluable to the Foundation's historic preservation work), the Annie Schaffer Senior Services Center, the Schenectady Housing Development Fund Corporation, the Legal Professionals of Schenectady County, OCTAVO Singers, Q.U.I.L.T.S., Pipe Organ Concert Committee for St. John the Evangelist Church. She was a Trustee of Vale Cemetery Association. And her membership activities included work with the Schenectady City's Board of Assessment Review, Schenectady County Historical Society, New York Catholic Chorale, Citizens' Advisory Board for the Metroplex Development Authority's Canal Square project, member of Proctor's Strategic Planning Committee, member of the Courthouse Committee, Democrat Committeeperson, a founder of Citizens for Responsible Government. And this certainly doesn't cover everything.Her dedication to the liberal and pluralistic causes about which she cared, and her exemplary participation in working for them would be difficult to match.An avid reader and blessed with a voracious curiosity of the world at large, Ruth also had a great love for gardening, history, politics, and travel. Her passion for traveling took her to many places around the world including Turkey, Italy, Spain, Israel, Iceland, England, the Netherlands - and we're probably missing just as many places as have been named. She took numerous hiking trips with the English Wayfarers in many parts of Great Britain and in Provence, France. Perhaps Ruth's favorite trips though, may have been those that took place not too far from home. For nearly 30 years, she took an annual week-long sailing trip out of Camden, Maine on a variety of windjammers that sailed all over Penobscot Bay. A photo that Ruth gifted to family members years ago is a picture of her perched on a windjammer, book in hand, big smile on her face - with this hand-written note from her jotted on the back of the photo:"The way I want to be remembered! A good book, a good breeze, a beautiful bay & a fine boat! - Love, Mother"THIS is how most of the family is likely to remember her . . .Indeed. Trim the mainsail and sail on, dear Ruth. We love you . . . Ruth is survived by her husband, John Albert Bergeron, her 3 sons Marc Lionel, Paul Henri, and Andre Guy (Carol), two granddaughters Dana (Rich) Helion and Jennifer (John) Raiti, and a great granddaughter Annabelle.Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral service Tuesday, July 26, at 1 p.m. at First Reformed Church (in the historic Sanctuary), Schenectady - the service will also be live streamed at this link: www.schenectadyheritage.org (http://www.schenectadyheritage.org), or mailed to P.O. Box 1173, Schenectady, NY 12301-1173.
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