Long Beach mourns the loss of Ruth Kaleko

Ruth Kaleko, a respected teacher and former Long Beach Board of Education trustee, passed away on April 13 at age 93.

Ruth was the beloved wife of the late Robert, and loving mother of Lauren and Martin Kaminsky and the late Scott. She is the grandmother of State Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky and his wife, Ellen, and Scott and his wife, Jennifer. She was the adored “GiGi” of Scarlett, Jade, Mick and Rafe. Ruth was also a devoted aunt and friend.

Ruth Kaleko was an integral part of the Long Beach community, where she taught school for many years. She served on the school board and also the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, and belonged to numerous organizations.

Raised in Chicago during The Great Depression, she made Long Beach her home and worked to make her community a better place, Todd Kaminsky said on Facebook.

“While we are heartbroken, she lived a full life and helped so many people along the way,” he said. “She was a beloved teacher here for nearly 40 years and believed in the potential of every child. Her service on the zoning and school boards was invaluable to Long Beach. She served on the school board well after she couldn’t walk to meetings on her own — you could not pry her away from serving the community she loved. Everything I have learned about the importance of public service and family comes from my grandparents. And watching grandma with Rafe will always be some of my favorite memories. Ellen and I deeply hope that we can impart to him the very same values Ruth imparted to us.”

A funeral service was held at Temple Emanu-El. Donations can be sent to the Kaleko Memorial Scholarship Fund, 302 Blackheath Rd., Lido Beach, NY 11561.