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WILBERFORCE — Ruth Hazel was born Ruth Naomi Rivers in Augusta, Georgia, on September 21, 1926, the only child of Carrie Mae Rivers. She was preceded in death by David W. Hazel, Sr., her husband of 60 years. Ruth Hazel departed this life on May 19, 2022, survived by her four children: Cheryl, Daryl (Janet), David, and Kim, 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, three great-greatgrandchildren, and three nieces. Ruth called herself a Child of the Great Depression. She was also a Child of the Great Migration of Black people who left the South. Carrie Mae left her daughter, Ruth, with distant cousins in Augusta, Georgia when she left for New York City to work in domestic service with a family. Carrie Mae sent for Ruth, who, at age eight, traveled alone by train to reunite with her mother in New York. Six years later, they relocated to Detroit, Michigan. Other than school, Carrie Mae only allowed Ruth to go either to the public library or the art museum. Her influence on Ruth created a lasting family legacy of love for culture and literature. With very limited resources and personal sacrifice, Carrie Mae sent Ruth to a private high school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Ruth met her future husband, David, there while she was a student and he was a teacher. They married in 1946 while she was at Eastern Michigan University. At Eastern, Ruth double-majored in English and history, and she was a charter member of Xi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Ruth and David began their family in 1948, and it continued to grow when they relocated to Massachusetts, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana for David's career. In 1958, Ruth and her family made their final move to Wilberforce, Ohio, where she and David had long careers as educators. Ruth began teaching when her youngest child started school. While teaching English full-time to 7th and 8th graders, Ruth earned her Master's Degree in Education at Wright State University. She retired in 1991. For years afterward, Xenia and Wilberforce residents recognized and remembered Ruth as an influential and memorable English teacher, who commanded her classroom. In retirement, Ruth enjoyed long daily walks, attended book club meetings, remained connected with her former colleagues through her retired teachers' association, volunteered with the Greene County Democrats and local food pantry, worshiped and served as a lay minister at Christ Episcopal Church, was active with the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women, and traveled. Ruth was a patron of Dayton's ballet, symphony, opera, and theatre companies, and Xenia Area Community Theatre. She loved her routine of Silver Sneakers classes with her friends at the YMCA. Even though she would sometimes complain about her full calendar, Ruth enjoyed her activities. Eventually, Ruth's activities changed as she outlived many friends who shared her interests; however, family, walking, reading, and travel were constants in her life. Ruth traveled solo, or with friends and family, until she was 93 years old. Though her friends worried about her safety when she traveled solo, Ruth was carefree and having a good time. Her favorite trips were for her birthday: South Africa for her 88th, China for her 90th, France for her 92nd, and Austin, Texas for her 93rd. Ruth's friends, members of her church, and neighbors in the community, where she lived for over 50 years, were very supportive of Ruth in her sudden and long illness. Fiercely independent for as long as she could be, Ruth lived a long life, positively touching others as a loving and faithful daughter, wife, mother, teacher, and friend. Ruth expressly stated she did not want a funeral or memorial service. In her memory, please consider a donation to Ohio's Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45420. This organization helped the family keep Ruth comfortable in her home.
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