It is with deep sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing of Ruth Goldberg, age 88, on November 20, 2025. Ruth was born and raised in her beloved Brooklyn, New York, and later moved to St. Louis, Missouri—a city she once joked she couldn’t easily find on a map—when her husband, Joe, accepted a position with Brown Shoe Company. 

Ruth is survived by her daughter Elizabeth; her son Mark (Margaret); her grandchildren Hunter, Wesley (Danielle), Karrah (fiancé Clayton), and Stephanie (Conner); her great-grandchildren Marcus and Elesa; her nieces Jill and Suzanne; and her nephew Paul. She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph, parents Fay and Herman, her sister Beverly, and her son-in-law Mark (Elizabeth). 

Ruth attended college in Brooklyn and worked as a law office secretary before meeting Joe at a dance. They married in 1959. After raising their two children, Ruth returned to school and proudly completed her bachelor’s degree in Music Pedagogy at Fontbonne College in 1983. She went on to open her own music school, where she and her employees taught piano to both children and adults. Music was woven into the fabric of her life, inspired early on by her father, a professional musician of the Big Band Era. 

A true social butterfly, Ruth spent many afternoons going out to lunch with friends and attending evening parties. She also loved the theatre, reading, crossword puzzles, Scrabble, and mahjong. When her children were young, she volunteered in their school library. She adored cats and curated an extensive collection of cat miniatures that she displayed throughout her home. Ruth and Joe also enjoyed many adventures traveling together to Europe, Asia, and Canada. 

Above all, Ruth cherished her role as a grandmother. She attended many of her grandchildren’s performances and delighted in hosting them for holiday dinners and sleepovers at her home. Her joy was unmistakable whenever she was with her grandchildren, and the love she shared with them remains her most enduring legacy. 

Ruth will be interred next to her husband Joe at the Jefferson Barracks’ National Veteran Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis (https://www.jfedstl.org).