Ruth S. Engelken

Ruth Simpson Engelken, 95 of Hillsdale, New Jersey passed away May 13th, 2018 peacefully at home with her loving family and friends nearby. Ruth was born in Paterson, New Jersey before moving to Hawthorne at age 3 and graduating from Hawthorne High School in 1940. She met her husband, Frederick E. Engelken, at Paterson State Teachers College (now William Paterson) and the two married on April 20, 1944. Lieutenant JG Engelken, serving on an LCI in the US Navy, left for active duty in the Pacific weeks later. Ruth graduated from Paterson State in 1944 with a BA in Business Education. Her first teaching position was teaching business education at Fairlawn High School. In 1951, Ruth and Fred moved to Hillsdale to raise a family with Fred teaching at Westwood High School. Ruth continued her career in education teaching kindergarten at Zion Lutheran School in Westwood, New Jersey from 1961 to 1977. Along with her husband and other service minded parishioners at Zion, she was instrumental in helping to start the organization’s Homebound Ministry program. Ruth loved the beach, birding, swimming and her family. She is survived by her husband of 74 years Frederick E. Engelken of Hillsdale as well as her eldest son Cort Engelken and his wife Lorraine Chouinard of Nanuet, New York and their children Peter, Alison, Ben and Julian, and her youngest son Blair Engelken of Southern Shores, North Carolina and Grandchildren Molly, Joshua (spouse Carrie) and Kyle (spouse Mary) and 3 Great Grandchildren Clayton, Frederick and Jacob. Ruth is also survived by her many loving nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends. Friends may call at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, New Jersey on Thursday May 17th between 6pm and 8pm. The memorial service will be held Friday May 18th at Zion Lutheran Church, 155 Second Avenue Westwood, NJ at 1:00PM. Interment at Westwood Cemetery will immediately follow the service. Donations in Lieu of flowers would be appreciated to Zion Lutheran Church’s Homebound Ministry Program.