Obituary: Ruth Sinaiko Max - Class of 1929

MADISON - Ruth Sinaiko Max, age 91, died on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002. In 1996, Ruth moved to Newton, Mass., from her home, Madison, to be near her daughter. She moved in 1999 to the Beaumont Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Natick, Mass., where she was a resident at the time of her death. Born on Oct. 31, 1911, in Madison, Ruth was the second of six daughters of Pauline and William Sinaiko. Ruth graduated from high school in Madison and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1941, she married Oscar Max of Sheboygan, who died in 1976. In the 1950s, Ruth became one of the first women in Madison to get a real estate sales license. For many years she worked with Jack McKenna, a well-known local real estate developer and broker. Later, she was a salesperson at Woldenberg's, an exclusive women's clothing store. Ruth always had a knack for finding what genuinely suited people. All her life, Ruth was known for her warmth, integrity, vivaciousness and generosity towards family and friends. She was an accomplished cook and, hostess and along with her husband, Oscar, loved giving dinner parties. When her children were young, Ruth was president of the Dudgeon School PTA and was active in local Jewish organizations and the Red Cross. After her husband's death, Ruth continued to be actively involved with family and friends and work part-time. Although Ruth moved to the Boston area too late in life to ever feel really "at home," she enjoyed being close to her daughter and Boston area family and friends as well as attending local cultural and musical activities. She is survived by her daughter, Deborah Max Reisman, and son-in-law, Joel Reisman, of Newton, Mass.; her son, Michael Max, and daughter-in-law, Eleanor, of Washington, D.C.; granddaughter, Rachel Max of Washington, D.C.; her sisters, Beatrice Marlowe of West Palm Beach, Fla., Lois Webb of Clear Lake, Texas, and Jeanne Seltzer of Royal Palm Beach, Fla. A graveside service will be held on Sunday May 11, 2003, at FOREST HILL CEMETERY, 1 Speedway Road, Madison, at 1 p.m. Please gather at CRESS FUNERAL HOME beginning at 12:30 p.m. A, reception will follow at Temple Beth Israel, Mound Street, Madison. Donations in the memory of Ruth Max may be made to Friends of JCHE (Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly), 30 Wallingford Road, Brighton, MA 02135, or the charity of one's choice. Cress Funeral Service 3610 Speedway Road (608) 238-3434

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on May 4, 2003

Note: Ruth Sinaiko Max's class year is based on information in the 1929 Tychoberahn, where she is pictured among the June graduates.