Ruth S Silver

Ruth Stanlie Smith Silver, 84, our beloved sister, aunt, great aunt, and friend, has finished her mission in this world and passed into eternity on Friday July 17, 2015, in American Fork Utah. She leaves behind hundreds of loved ones who revered her role in their lives.

Ruth was born Nov. 1, 1930 at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake, the first of seven children of Joseph F. and Ruth Pingree Smith. She adored her family and cherished her Mormon heritage as a descendant of Hyrum Smith and Mary Fielding.

Born with a love of learning, Ruth consumed knowledge from an early age, devouring books and plays, concerts and theater. Uncommonly bright, inquisitive, and disciplined, Ruth distinguished herself in school, church and culture as a woman of talent, drive, and accomplishment.

Ruth attended the elementary Stewart School on U. of U. campus, then attended South Davis Jr. High and Davis High schools. At age 16, she attended the Punahou School in Hawaii where she graduated from high school in1948. Ruth attended college at the University of Utah and the University of Hawaii, graduating in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication. She was very active in the Chi Omega sorority. She also earned a masters’ degree in speech communication at the University of Hawaii.

In 1955, she served an LDS Mission to England, sailing across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary, in rough seas. An energetic traveler, Ruth also toured London, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, before sailing home on the America, again in rough seas. She taught speech communications at the Church College of Hawaii from 1957-60, and also taught at BYU in Provo, from 1961-64.

While on another trip to England, Ruth met Harold F.Silver, an inventor, whom she married in 1964 in the Hawaii LDS Temple. She moved with him to Denver, Colorado where Ruth would live for the next fifty years. She echoed the biblical story of Ruth, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people." Harold and Ruth embarked on a life together of service to community and travel to many cities and countries, including Hawaii, Europe, and Japan.

In 1977, Ruth and Harold took Christine Ashton as their "little girl," parenting her part-time from her birth to her marriage. Over the years, Ruth also mothered many relatives, friends, students, artists, musicians, and scholars, urging them toward their potential. She was an inspiring mentor.

Ruth deeply admired Queen Elizabeth I, who said, "Though I be a woman, yet I have as good a courage answerable to my place as ever my father had." This describes Ruth’s faith and determination to live fully and move forward -- even as her father died shortly before she was married, and even as her beloved husband died, buried the day after their twentieth anniversary in 1984.

A self-defined "theatre, opera and arts junkie," Ruth regularly attended the symphony, ballet, opera, and theatre in Denver, as well as in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Salt Lake, and Europe. A woman well ahead of her time, Ruth loved learning, as both student and teacher, continually attending classes and consuming ideas, books, theories, and discussions. She taught at the Colorado Women’s College, and frequented the Iliff School of Theology. She loved religious studies and her association with religion scholars and women of diverse faiths.

A serious student of scripture, Ruth taught gospel doctrine for many years in the LDS Church, as well as women’s Relief Society. She cherished serving as a matron in the Denver LDS Temple for eight years. As a lifelong Latter-day Saint, Ruth was devoted to God and determined to lift souls. She sought the best in life and in people, always helping them see it, as well. Her compassion and outreach knew no bounds.

Ruth voiced her convictions, and defended people and principles she felt deserved respect. She said, "The truth is worth defending---you shouldn't fear to stand up for it." She grasped the crux of any issue with quick precision. She wanted to foster and protect beauty and goodness in this world.

Ruth loved serving on educational and cultural boards, including -- the Civic Center Conservancy, University of Denver, Colorado Ballet, Colorado Children’s Chorale, Central City Opera, the Denver Center for Performing Arts (also its Shakespeare Society, Women’s Voiced Fund, Director’s Society, Denver Center Alliance, Encore Society, and Newman Center), the Denver Center Theatre, Denver Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Women’s Library Association, Hadassah, Jane Herrick Literary Club, Denver Stake LDS Relief Society, and the Colorado Steering Committee for the Women's Studies in Religion Program at Harvard Divinity School.

Ann Braude at HDS said, "Ruth was among the most loyal supporters of Harvard's Women's Studies in Religion Program; she came to campus every year for over 20 years. She was an intrepid and luminary soul, always eager to learn, and share what she learned in the most generous possible way. Ruth's combination of deep faith with profound openness made her a truly unique individual. Her life has truly blessed all who knew her."

Ruth supported many cultural and educational programs, such as the Susan B. Anthony List, Chi Omega, Metropolitan Opera, Harvard Divinity School, BYU Communications Dept., U. of U. Communications, Lamont School of Music, Punahou School, Rocky Mountain PBS, Utah Festival Opera, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Opera Colorado, Colorado Public Radio, Denver Public Library, Denver Rescue Mission, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, and many other groups. She cared deeply about each program and organization, giving each her utmost attention.

Ruth described her life as "mountains of memorable experiences." She embodied the epitome of a life well lived. She maintained a rigorous daily schedule of work and activity, constantly on the go, with jaunts to Boston, New York, Missouri, Illinois, Utah, California, Hawaii, Alaska, and Australia.

Her constant motion resulted in a several broken bones. She broke her femur while mountain biking at age 66, then broke her leg and arm in her 70s, then broke her leg in her 80s, then had stress fractures; yet she always healed quickly. She often quipped, "I don't mind aging, but I refuse to get old." Finally, at 83, her pace slowed.

She celebrated fifty years in Denver during 2014, then began what she called “a new chapter of life,” by retiring her home and giving away most of her possessions. In February 2015, Ruth moved back to Utah to be near her family, where she felt immersed in their love. On July 14, Ruth suddenly became ill and underwent emergency surgery, but failed to recover from resulting complications. She passed away peacefully on July 17, 2015.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Harold, and her younger sisters Ida Smith and Lynne Smith Partridge. She is survived by her younger siblings Raoul P. Smith (Meridith), Denis P. Smith (Ruth), Hyrum W. Smith (Gail), Pauline Smith Jensen, and their many children and grandchildren, who are Ruth’s cherished nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews

"Soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, Her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace."

A viewing will take place on Thursday, July 23 from 6-8 p.m. at Olinger Hampden Mortuary on 8600 East Hampden Ave. in Denver, CO. The funeral will be held on Friday July 24 at 10 a.m. in the LDS Crestmoor Ward on 740 Hudson St. in Denver, with a brief viewing before the funeral at 9 a.m.

Ruth will be buried next to her husband Harold in the Fairmount Hampden Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.