In memory of Ruth Sawyer, an active member of the University of Wisconsin Seattle Alumni Chapter, please make a donation to the UW Foundation scholarship fund. A Program, dedicated to providing scholarships to deserving local students attending UW-Madison. You can make donations in memory of Ruthie on the UW Foundation site and select "Seattle WA" from the drop down menu. You can also mail donations to P.O. Box 1480, Lake Stevens, WA 98258. Please make checks payable to "UW Alumni - Seattle Chapter".

Following tribute written by fellow UW Badger Seattle Alumni Jay Gusick.

I have such fond memories of Ruth, as the doyenne of those Rain City Badger gatherings in the 1980s and 1990s -- with her pretty while hair, her warm smile, her hugs, and her "Oh honey's" (and I might add her intermittent snoring during our more stimulating Board Meetings)!

I can recall the thick pink lipstick clinging to the can, cup, or glass that always let you know it was Ruth's -- at board meetings, Beer & Brat events, Founder's Day dinners, and even at Hood Canal. Because she always had it freshly applied!

My fondest memories of Ruth, are of the wonderful Badger holiday gatherings they hosted in their home. Ruth had every nook and cranny decorated within an inch of its life -- I even think that the "his" and "hers" phones on either end of that long, long sofa were decorated in some way. I can just picture Ruth coming out of the kitchen in her holiday apron -- having just pulled things from the 1950s wall oven (after sneaking a sip of beer); while Hal was playing Christmas carols on the piano -- to let us know it was time to eat. Somehow, my memories of her at Christmas are even better than anything Norman Rockwell could have conjured up...and that is despite the fact that I always got lost in that maze of hallways and bedrooms trying to find my coat at the end of the evening!

Ruth had a "tough go" of it (as my mother would say) these last few years. I suspect that Hal and the family are balancing their sense of loss with some relief that her suffering is at end, and she is at last at rest. And who knows, just maybe, she's applying some fresh lipstick and adjusting her apron before going on through the pearly gates! Cheers Ruthie!