Ruth Gastel Polur

Ruth Gastel Polur, 95, passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 27, 2023. She was the loving sister of Bernard and Benjamin and daughter to Louis and Sarah Gastel and was born on April 17, 1928 in Rochester, NY.

Always encouraged to pursue her education, Ruth graduated at 16 from Benjamin Franklin High School, earned her BS from the University of Rochester, then achieved her Master’s Degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. Between her undergraduate and Master’s work, Miss Gastel did research at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, later continuing biochemical research at Massachusetts General Hospital under a Nobel Laureate, and then at the National Heart and Lung Institute of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

Returning to Rochester, NY, in 1961, she married David Polur who had established an electrical engineering firm there. With their three young children, they moved to Tampa in 1971 and Ruth continued being the supportive sounding board and partner to David in all their business, volunteer and philanthropic pursuits. Later, this even included running a hotel in Alabama.

Throughout her life, Ruth appreciated and supported The Arts. She attributed this to the amazing access she had growing up in Rochester.

Along with David, her loving husband of 48 years who pre-deceased her, Ruth raised three children who adored them both: Lou (Kay) Polur, Shari (Michael Gold) Polur, and Lila Polur Wrubel, as did their grandchildren, Emily, Elliot, Jenna, Alexandra, Adrian, Benjamin, Sarah, and Anna.

Services will be held at 10am on Sunday, December 31, 2023 at Temple B’nai Israel at 1685 South Belcher Road, Clearwater 33764, with interment immediately following at Sylvan Abbey on 2853 Sunset Point Road, Clearwater 33759.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ruth Gastel Polur’s memory to JNF for trees, which is a way to plant trees in the promised land and was mom's favorite charity.