Ruthe Cohen Freed, age 83, November 14, 1923 to November 3, 2007, passed away Saturday in her residence at Heather Ridge. Widow of Isadore Freed, prominent Canton attorney. Survived by her daughter, Roberta Freed, Ph.D. of Columbus, Ohio and her son Charles Freed, Washington D.C. attorney; daughter-in-law, Susan, CFP and granddaughter, Madeline, all of Potomac, Maryland. A life-long resident of Canton and a fifty-year member of the Shaaray Torah Synagogue. Dedicated to her family, her synagogue and the civic life of her community. Ruthe learned to care for others at an early age. Ruthe's mother, Sadie (Kornitzky) Cohen lost her husband, Robert in 1929, leaving her with 6 year-old Ruthe, baby Shirley (Shirley Jacobs Richardson, deceased) and a small grocery store to run. Ruthe helped raise Shirley and they remained each other's closest friends as well as sisters throughout their lives. Throughout their school years both girls helped out in their mother's store. Ruthe graduated from McKinley High School in 1941. But as a child of the Depression Ruthe was not able to use the partial art scholarship she received from Ohio State University. She spent the war years working in the offices of the Timken Roller Bearing Company. After the war and her marriage to Isadore Freed in 1945, Ruthe became active in the Shaaray Torah Synagogue, creating and adding her ideas to the plays, cantatas, workshops and conferences created by her sister Shirley and other synagogue members. She chaired and served on an array of local, state and regional committees and twice served as President of the Shaaray Torah Sisterhood. She received the Shaaray Torah Synagogue Distinguished Service Award in 1992. At Shaaray Torah and at the Canton Jewish Community Center, Ruthe used her artistic talents to create the decorations for dozens of meetings, conventions and dances. She illustrated a cookbook created by the Shaaray Torah Sisterhood. With a horticulturist she designed the memorial garden for Isadore Freed on the grounds of the Shaaray Torah Synagogue. She was always exploring new artistic outlets from collage to calligraphy to ceramics to clothing design. Ruthe used her artistic talents to their fullest in designing and decorating the house of her dreams in which the family lived for many years. In it she often served as hostess to prominent people from around the country in support of her husband's career and both of their many civic responsibilities. The house was filled with Ruthe's original watercolor and acrylic paintings. After her husband's untimely death in 1967, Ruthe was asked to complete his term on the board of commissioners of the Stark County Metropolitan Housing Authority. For the next 30 years Ruthe was an active member of the board, serving on state and regional housing authority committees and lobbying in Washington for improved housing for the poor and elderly. She also wrote a handbook on the roles and responsibilities of housing authority commissioners that was copied by other authorities around the country. After her retirement from the authority, the Ruthe and Isadore Freed Housing Corporation was formed in their honor. During the mid 1970's Ruthe was also a leasing agent at London Square Apartments. She often used her design expertise to help "empty nesters" transition from large homes to apartment living, just as she had done. With all these outside interests, Ruthe's greatest joy was always in the progress and accomplishments of her children and grandchild. Hearing about and participating in occasions great and small in their lives was the greatest satisfaction to her. Services will be held Tuesday at 1:00 PM in the Arnold Funeral Home, Canton with Cantor Bruce Braun officiating. Interment will be in Canton Hebrew Cemetery. Following the burial the family will receive friends at Shaaray Torah Synagogue. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shaaray Torah Synagogue. (Arnold, Canton 330-456-7291) www.arnoldfuneralhome.com