Ruth Klosterman Fine, 93, died peacefully at home in Shelton on September 19 after a life of service to her community and family.
Ruth grew up in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
She graduated from Abington High School in 1939 then, like so many bright women of her time, attended secretarial school before entering the work force in Philadelphia.
In 1950 she married Roy Fine, an engineer then working for RCA, and subsequently raised three sons first in Haddonfield, New Jersey, then in Wayland, Massachusetts and finally in Trumbull, Connecticut.
Ruth was a long-time member of the League of Women Voters and served in a variety of leadership positions with its branch in Haddonfield. After moving to Wayland in the 1960s she rejoined the work force as the administrator of the Framingham Youth Guidance Center. While living in Wayland she was also an active member of the First Parish (Unitarian) Church. After moving to Trumbull in 1972, she gave of her time and talents to many worthy causes. Notable among them, Ruth served on the board of directors for the School Volunteer Association of Bridgeport, and for several years coordinated its Citywide Read Aloud Day, a program that involved thirty schools and more than 600 volunteers.
In 1995 she was honored for this work by the Volunteer Center of Greater Bridgeport as its Outstanding Senior Volunteer. Ruth served on the steering committees for the Connecticut Coalition against Gun Violence and the Greater Bridgeport Coalition for Choice. She also contributed much over the years to the Unitarian Church in Westport, and she was recognized in the 1990s as one of the congregation’s “unsung heroes” for that volunteer work.
Ruth’s husband of sixty-five years, Roy Fine, preceded her in death last month. She is survived by her sister, Helen Jensen, of Ambler, Pennsylvania, and her three sons, David Fine (Maura) of Manchester, New Hampshire, Richard Fine (Sara Ferguson) of Richmond, Virginia and Eric Fine (Chris) of Shelton, Connecticut, and three grandchildren, Mary Ferguson Fine of Glasgow, Scotland, Alice Ferguson Fine of London, England, and Nicholas Fine of Shelton, Connecticut.
Memorial gifts may be made to the charity of your choice. A memorial concert celebrating the lives of Ruth and Roy will be held on Saturday, October 31 at 4 PM at the Unitarian Church in Westport.
