Ruth Mary Wimer

Born on August 2, 1953 and raised in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, Ruth was one of eight children of Franklin and Marjorie Wimer. A gifted student, she graduated from Fox Chapel High School before earning a two year associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She went on to attend Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, graduating in 1976 with both a B.S. and a B.A. in Business Management.

Ruth earned her J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law in 1980 and her LL.M. In Taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1984. She passed both the D.C. Bar and the D.C. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examinations and began her legal career with the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service. She soon was recruited into private practice by Arthur Young, which later became Ernst & Young, where she spent over thirty years as a partner in the firms’s National Tax Department.

Her expertise included pension and benefits tax planning, executive compensation, employment taxes, deferred compensation, and corporate aircraft utilization. After retiring from Ernst & Young, Ruth continued practicing tax law for another decade at McDermott Will & Emery and then Winston & Strawn. During her distinguished forty year career in the world of tax planning and consulting, Ruth gained extensive experience advising on complex executive compensation tax issues, including incentive compensation and fee deferral issues for hedge funds and private equity firms as well as in connection with mergers and acquisitions. Ruth also was a frequently featured tax and compensation speaker at legal conferences across the country.

In 1984, Ruth married Timothy A. Chorba, a Washington, D.C. attorney. Together they shared forty one years of marriage and raised three sons : Tim Jr., Christian and William. Ruth was a devoted mother, deeply involved in her sons’ education and their community during their combined eighteen years at St. Albans. All three of her sons went on to graduate from Georgetown University and earn law degrees - from Georgetown, Boston College and Michigan, respectively.

During the 1990s Ruth paused her professional career to accompany her children and husband to Singapore, where he served as the U.S. Ambassador. In her role as ambassadorial spouse, she represented her country with style, grace and distinction.

Ruth was a woman of many passions. A skilled skier, she taught the sport to her sons. While living in Singapore, she developed a keen interest in running, completing the full 26 mile Singapore Marathon. Ruth also was a talented seamstress and a gourmet cook.

In February 2025, Ruth welcomed her first grandchild, Aurelia Rose Chorba, born in Burlington, Vermont - a moment of immense joy and pride.

Recently retired from Winston & Strawn, Ruth had just successfully launched her own consulting firm R. Wimer Consulting LLC in Florida when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She faced her illness with strength, clarity and courage.

Ruth leaves behind a legacy of professional excellence, intellectual rigor, personal warmth, and devotion to family. She is survived by her husband, Tim, her sons Tim Jr, Christian and William, her daughter-in- law Alessandra and granddaughter Aurelia, and seven siblings - Frank Jr (Lourdes), Richard (Laurel), Jessica (Herb+), Valerie (Dick), Judy (Jeff), Gary (Gretchen) and Douglas (Linda), as well as a wide circle of extended family, friends, and colleagues who will miss her deeply.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation online in memory of Ruth Wimer to one of the following charitable organizations:

Gregorian University Foundation at Gregorian University Foundation. It supports the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome with funding for scholarships, academic chairs, libraries and capital improvements.

Camp Ta-Kum-Ta at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. It is Vermont’s camp for children who have or have had cancer, as well as their families.

Foundations of Nuvance Health - Pancreatic Cancer Research

Dr. Richard C. Frank’s research seeks to develop early detection for pancreatic cancer. Donations in Ruth’s memory also may be mailed to Foundations of Nuvance Health, P.O. Box 22539, New York, NY 10087-2539.