Clairemont Loses Longtime Community Volunteer

Ruth Johnson, 12/24/26-10/22/13

One of Clairemont’s most stalwart volunteers, Ruth Johnson, passed away October 22nd, just two months shy of her 87th birthday.

If you have been involved in community events in Clairemont, you surely know Ruth. It’s difficult to list all the groups and events she gave her time to over the years without fear one or two would be overlooked.

She was an early member of the Clairemont Woman’s Club in the 60’s, volunteered at the Navy Relief Office and put in many hours for the PTA over the years.  Some readers may remember her from the before-and-after daycare she had at Cadman Elementary, or perhaps from when she did lunch duty there. If you went to Clairemont High, you may have bought something at the snack bar she ran there for many years with her husband, Albert, who predeceased her.

More recently, Ruth was a consistent presence at Clairemont Town Council meetings, she enjoyed working the Woman’s Club booth at Family Day and did fundraising for HOBY scholarships at both Madison and Clairemont High.

Ruth managed to contribute to Clairemont in all these ways and more while raising 7 children. She taught them how important it is to get involved in one’s community, and showed them the fulfillment to be found in volunteering. “Her idea was to get a little from a lot of people and change would happen,” remembers her daughter Maureen Atwell.

Her family has held a private gathering to celebrate her life, as she wished. If you would like to remember Ruth, and honor her commitment to Clairemont, you may make a donation of any size to the Clairemont Woman's Club for the scholarship fund.  The mailing address is P O Box 17322, San Diego, CA 92177.

In addition, members of the Clairemont Town Council Board are working with the principal and other community leaders to have the library at Cadman Elementary named for Ruth.