Ruth Miyuki Hattori

Ruth M. Hattori, 92, of Salem, NH, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at The Residence at Salem Woods.

The only daughter of the late Noboru and Itsu (Yamamoto) Ota, Ruth was born August 24, 1927, in Rock Springs, WY. She married Masaaki Hattori in 1947 in Ogden, UT, and in the early 1950s, they moved their family to New England. They raised their family in Lawrence, MA and Salem, NH. Ruth worked at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Hope Congregational Church and Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital. She was an active member of the Hope Congregational Church for many years and loved the music of the beautiful pipe organ installed there.

Ruth loved her family and friends and always welcomed them with the warmest hugs. She hosted a New Year’s Day party at her home in Salem for many years, enlisting several generations of her family to cook and to roll sushi. Her smile and laughter were contagious and her joy made everyone feel at home. She took special joy watching her children and grandchildren grow, and never missed an opportunity to tell them how much she loved them.

Ruth was predeceased by her beloved husband, Masaaki, her parents, and her four brothers: Harold, Kayo, Bob and Bruce.

She will be remembered as a person full of love and compassion. She is survived by her four children: Stephen M. and his wife Linda, of Tewksbury, MA, Gerald Y. and his wife Patricia, of Concord, NH, Patricia K., of Derry, NH, David A. and his wife Vicki, of Bountiful, UT; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank The Residence at Salem Woods Reflections staff for Ruth’s care.

A private family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Attn: Dept. 2, 322 Eight Avenue. 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001 and the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, 4200 Wisconsin Ave NW #106, Washington, DC 20016.