Ruth Oppenheim

She will be missed by her family, who will remember her as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and a model for strength and perseverance in the face of life’s challenges.

Ruth immigrated to this country from Hitler’s Germany in 1940. Her childhood years there had a profound impact on her life and left her with deep compassion for the underprivileged and victims of persecution. She served as a Holocaust spokesperson for the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, and shared her holocaust experience through many interviews, invited lectures and a published personal memoir.

Having been denied an education as a Jew, she strove in her new country to take advantage of every educational opportunity. She took pride in obtaining a degree from Harvard, which she attended while raising her family. In 2023, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Brown University, an award that recognized her dedication to Holocaust education, driven by a mission to inspire others to confront injustice.

Ruth had a strong commitment to her Jewish faith and a deep love and appreciation for her adopted country, which she instilled in her children.

She was married to Walter Oppenheim, who shared a birthplace and early childhood in Germany. They met in New York and were married for 48 years; Walter passed in 1995.

Ruth is survived by her children Claudia and Jeffrey; daughter-in-law Valerie; son-in-law Duke; grandchildren Danielle(Charles) Nicole(Zac), Jay(Claire) and Caryn(Amy), and great-grandchildren Adair, Hattie, Wallis, and Zev.

The funeral will be held at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Street, Barrington, Rhode Island, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 16, 2026 with burial at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, to follow at 2:00 p.m.the same day.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Temple Habonim; the Rhode Island Foundation/Walter M. Oppenheim Fund; the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center (401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island); and Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island (220 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island) or any other charities of your choice.