Ruth Powell Obituary

Powell, Ruth B. 91, of Highland Park, passed away April 24, 2014. Beloved wife of the late Robert W. Powell and Earl Wasserman; cherished mother of Robert W. Powell, Jr. and Leslie (Stephen) Jacobson; adoring grandmother of Robert W., III and Lindsay Powell, Bonnie (Michael Goldstein) McLean, Bryan, James, and Keith Jacobson; cherished great-grandmother of two. Ruth Powell received both her BA and MA from Northwestern University's School of Speech (now the School of Communications) and was a 50 year docent at the Art Institute of Chicago commencing with the first class of docents in 1961. She independently gave lectures on Claude Monet's Gardens at Giverny, France, and Modern Sculpture Gardens at numerous garden clubs and organizations throughout the Midwest. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ruth Powell Museum Visitation Fund, Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60603-6404 or visit http://www.artic.edu/learn/student-tours/bus-scholarships. The Art Institute previously established this fund to honor Ruth's desire to provide funds permitting tours from schools with a mostly low income student body where budgets would not otherwise exist. There will be a private memorial service.