Ruth Shlachter, a 10-year resident of Portland, died Wednesday, March 24, 2021, of natural causes. She was 100.
She is survived by sons, Robert (daughter-in-law, Mara) of Portland, Marc (Kumiko) of Kahuku, Hawaii, and Barry of Fort Worth, Texas; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son, Jay; and her husband of 66 years, Harry.
She was born July 18, 1920. A charismatic woman of boundless energy, Ruth was a world traveler as well as a campaigner for heart research and Jewish causes.

Ruth Shlachter’s century-long life was marked by ambitious projects accomplished with little background but aided by boundless self-confidence.

She raised four sons; ran an antique business; built and sold seven suburban homes in a male-dominated construction industry; wrote and sold a freelance article profiling a paraplegic city council member; dispensed Jewish Mother wisdom and remedies during regular appearances on her eldest son’s Country Doctor medical advice radio show in Hawaii; designed and crafted “tallis”-adorned “Bear” Mitzvah lamps in her 70s. At 85, she acted on a midnight inspiration to provide special warmth to children with a line of plush bears in tiny bedrolls she called Comfort Teddies.

She not only found time for, but took leadership positions in, the American Heart Association, running its fund-raising campaigns in Beachwood, then a large section of Northern Ohio. Yearning for a daughter, she became active in Camp Fire Girls. She also counseled unwed pregnant women. At a national award ceremony in Washington, Barbara Bush presented her with a citation for her years of service to ORT America, a Jewish education and training organization.

“Thank you for being a strong female figure in our lives,” her eldest granddaughter, Kori Shlachter, said in a message read at her funeral in Cleveland.

“Bubbie was an absolute force but the only thing greater than her tenacity and energy was her love for her family. We are lucky to have had her with us for so long and to carry that love,: said grandson Jeremy Shlachter from Golden, Colo.

Jenna Shlachter, a Portland native now living in Truckee, Calif, wrote: “Bubbie had a superpower to make everyone around her feel deeply loved.”

Jenna's brother, David, now a resident of Mill Valley, Calif., said: “Bubbie showed us the only thing we needed to know: Love makes you strong. Everything else is just details.”

Donations may be made to the American Heart Association and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
The family would like to especially thank the staff of Rose Schnitzer Manor and Loving Care Providers.
Burial was in Cleveland.