General Information

Full Name: Ruth Baker
Date of Death: Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Ruth (nee Freeman), age 82, of Fair Lawn, died peacefully on May 28, 2025, at the Chelsea at Washington Township under the care of Grace Hospice.

Born in Paterson, NJ, to the late Paul and Jean Freeman, Ruth spent her lifetime dedicated to friends, family, and community. After graduating from East Side High School in Paterson, Ruth began a five-decade career at Ridgewood Corporation in Mahwah, a wholesale distributor of plumbing and heating equipment. Ruth held key positions in accounting, accounts receivables, payroll and human resources. Prior to her retirement, she served as controller and traveled internationally on company-sponsored trips.

Ruth was deeply devoted to her late husband, Howard, to whom she was married for 52 years. They had a beautiful life together in Fair Lawn, making lifelong connections with neighbors, friends from Paterson, and couples met through the Spartans Organization, a Jewish fraternity formed in Paterson. Deeply committed to the needs and interests of her family and close friends, Ruth stayed close with women she’d known since grade school. Following the unexpected loss of her two dearest friends, Dawn and Iris, she remained devoted to their children and their children’s children.

Ruth and Howard looked forward to their annual travels to Casa del Mar, their timeshare in Aruba. Often traveling with their beloved niece, Amy, they always returned with souvenirs for their family and friends and documented their trips in photos and slides. Ruth cherished time spent with her nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She will be remembered for her sense of style, her quick wit, her love of entertaining, and her generosity towards all those she loved.

Ruth was predeceased by her late husband, Howard, her late brother, Joel, and her late sister-in-law, Ardel. She leaves behind her adored sister, Frances, and brother-in-law, Stuart; her nephew, Seth, his wife, Jamie, and their sons, Jonah and Gabriel; her niece, Amy; her nephew, Marc; and her nephew Jay, his wife, Debbie, and their sons, Robert, Kenneth, and Daniel. May her memory be a blessing.

A graveside funeral is planned on June 1, 2025 at 11:00 am at Cedar Park Cemetery, 735 Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652. Memorial donations may be made to Grace Healthcare Services, 105 Fieldcrest Avenue #402, Edison, NJ 08837 or to the Alzheimer’s Association @ donorservices@alz.com