Ruth Caroline Johnson, 94, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on July 24, 2020. Ruth was born in Roxbury on December 15, 1925 to Swedish immigrants Harold and Lena Aronson. She was the youngest of three children and loved her older siblings, Vincent and Esther. Ruth delighted in her family in the United States and Sweden, and was thrilled to visit Sweden on occasion. She always looked forward to family reunions and holidays together.
Ruth took every opportunity to taste life in every form. She was a member of various nature groups and church groups including South Street Church and Immanuel Lutheran Church. On trips to Boston, Ruth would fondly recount sailing across the Charles River as she was a member of the Charles River Sailing Club. Ruth would also take pleasure in remembering her trips taken around Europe with her girlfriends. If sailing and traveling around Europe were not enough, she belonged to the Appalachian Mountain Club through much of her life. Ruth appreciated the arts and enjoyed her participation in the Boston Photography Club.
Ruth started her career with the Federal Reserve Bank immediately after graduating high school. She worked there for 25 years promoting to Planning Analyst and writer/editor of the New England Business Review. During this time, Ruth took classes part-time to complete her Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. She ended her banking career with the First National Bank of Boston as a Systems Analyst in 1970.
On June 1, 1969, Ruth married the love of her life, David Johnson and her son Eric was born the next year. She spent the rest of her life in Sherborn raising her family and being an active member of the community. Ruth had a second career between 1971 and 2001. She served elected positions as the Sherborn Treasurer, later Tax Collector, and positions in Southborough and Cambridge. Ruth volunteered at Pilgrim Church and served on the Elderly Housing Committee when the Woodhaven senior housing was constructed. She happily resided there later in life. With her remaining “free” time, she volunteered on the Tax Aid Committee, Board of Registrars, Council on the Aging and BayPath Elder Services Board.
Ruth was preceded in death by her husband David, father Harold, mother Lena, brother Vincent, sister Esther, stepson Mark Douglas, daughter in-law Sandra and nephew John. Ruth leaves behind her son Eric and wife Rebecca; her niece Lois and husband John and their children Kirsten, Gregory and Michael; her stepsons David, Dana and wife Linda, and their families, as well as her extended family and many friends.
Due to the current pandemic, burial services will be private and a virtual memorial service is being scheduled. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pilgrim Church, PO Box 322, Sherborn, MA, 01770 or online at pilgrimsherborn.org.
