Ruth Korn Josephs

Ruth Korn Josephs passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends in her home on March 10th.  Ruth was born Ruth Korn to Sadie and Meyer Korn in 1927 in Steubenville, OH.  Moving to Cumberland, MD for better business opportunities, Ruth’s parents started a homemade confectionary business during the Great Depression named the “Goody Nut Shop.”  Ruth learned and honed her mother’s business skills and work ethic and expanded on those lessons throughout her life.  After attending the University of Pittsburgh, she met and married the suave and handsome Hank Josephs, a World War II veteran and liberator of Dachau Concentration Camp.

After she met Hank, she decided to leave the University of Pittsburgh and moved to Corpus Christi where they married in 1948.  They had 4 children, Jeff, Sunny, Jamie, and Roz.  Ruth completed her degree at age 45 at what is today Texas A&M Corpus Christi (then known as CCSU), earned her degree in English and made the Dean’s List.  Ruth and Hank had a 69-year love affair that only ended when Hank passed away at age 92.

In 1976 with her youngest in middle school, Ruth and her two best friends, Angie and Martha, opened Pilar Fashion & Folkart which Ruth owned for 30 years.  She supported countless indigenous artists and craftspeople she had met during her travels around the world while shopping for the store.  There was not a point in her life when Ruth was not leading various philanthropic causes including: President of Haddassah Women’s Organization, B’nai Israel Synagogue Sisterhood, Corpus Christi Literacy Council, and many others.  Ruth was the first Anglo member of the NAACP in 1963 and worked feverishly to end segregation and inequality in the world wherever she went. 

Anyone who walked into Ruth’s home or business would undoubtedly be greeted by laughter and music.  Ruth taught her children that the worst word in the English language was “exclusive” “Because when something is exclusive it always means that somebody or some group is excluded.”  Ruth spent the last months of her life emphasizing how lucky she had been and fortunate to have lived such a fulfilled and exciting life.

Ruth is survived by her 4 children, Jeffrey Josephs, M.D. (Diane Ginsburg, Ph.D.), Sunny Levy (Mark Levy), Jamie Josephs, and Roslyn Ferrell (Ronald Ferrell, D.D.S.), grandchildren Shira Sebag, Forrest Toby Levy (deceased), Amie Pfeiffer (Zachary Pfeiffer) William Hammons, Rebecca Ferrell, Joshua Ferrell (Sarah Benenson), great grandchildren, Netanel, Esther, Chava, Menachem, Naomi, and Moshe along with numerous dear friends and devoted nieces and cousins.  A special thanks to Mom’s healthcare team and caregivers for their compassion and diligence.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the Coastal Bend Food Bank, the Free Store at www.freestorecc.com, Hadassah Women’s Organization, Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood, or the charitable organization of your choice.  Mom’s memory will live on through your acts of kindness, generosity, and tolerance.

A Funeral Service will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. at Seaside Funeral Home Chapel. Interment to follow at Seaside Memorial Park.

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