Ruth Levin Elwell died peacefully at her home in Cold Spring, New York, on Oct. 28, 2024. She was 78 years old.
Ruth was born in Chicago in 1946 and grew up in the nearby suburb of Winnetka, Illinois. She attended New Trier High School, which she hated, and dropped out of college in her first semester because she received an A on a paper that she felt was undeserved. At 19 she married Bruce Elwell, whom she met through the student group LRY, and they moved to Philadelphia and then New York City, where their son Tristan was born in 1968. After the end of her marriage, she raised Tristan as a single mother in Manhattan and worked in publishing as freelance book indexer.
After surviving breast cancer in the 1980s, she worked as a volunteer supporting other women through diagnosis and treatment. She also worked on several documentary films on subjects that included Ellis Island and the Fresh Kills Landfill, which led her to return to school and receive her degree in film studies from Empire State College in 1992.
She moved to New Paltz, New York, where she volunteered at the local library and was a member of the Planning Board for many years. One of her proudest achievements was her part in establishing the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.
In 2011 Ruth suffered a stroke and moved to Cold Spring to live with Tristan and his family. She made a remarkable recovery and continued her service in her new community, serving on the board of the Chapel Restoration and volunteering at the Julia Butterfield Library. Although declining health limited her activities in recent years, she had been working on programming a series on under-appreciated films at the library.
Ruth leaves behind her son, Tristan Elwell, daughter-in-law Carolynn Cobleigh, granddaughter Mina Soriano-Elwell, granddaughter-in-law Angelica Soriano-Elwell, sister Carole Levin and niece Rohana Elias-Reyes.
Her sharp wit, candor and unfaltering commitment to the people and causes she championed are already terribly missed. Although never religious, in her time in Cold Spring, Ruth developed a deep spiritual connection to the Hudson River. Those wishing to offer their thoughts for Ruth to the wider universe should plan accordingly.
Details for a Celebration of Life will be provided by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library would be greatly appreciated.
