Dear Colleagues,
The campus community mourns the passing of Ruth Drozin ’58, M’63, P’82, who died on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Ruth retired from L&IT in 1998 after 29 years of service to Bucknell. Her daughter, Katherine (Drozin) Coup ’82, is a Bucknell alumna.
Included below is the complete text of the obituary, as provided by the family.
I encourage you to visit our In Memoriam site to share personal notes of sympathy and remembrance with others.
On behalf of our entire University community, I extend our deepest sympathies to Ruth’s family, as well as to all who knew her at Bucknell.
John C. Bravman
President
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On Aug. 31, 2022, Ruth Drozin passed away peacefully in her bed at the Buffalo Valley Nursing Center, having been a resident there for one year.
Ruth was a remarkable woman whose story began when she was born in Chicago on Nov. 10, 1936, to parents Thomas Samuel and Winifred Alma (Fox) Heidemann. Ruth’s childhood included living in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, before moving to Montclair, N.J., to graduate high school in 1954.
She attended Bucknell University, graduating in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, which she put to use as a chemist for pharmaceutical company Hoffman-La Roche. She didn’t stay there long, however, as she returned to Lewisburg to settle into married life with Bucknell physics professor, the late Dr. Vadim G. Drozin. Ruth received her master’s degree in education from Bucknell, with plans to teach chemistry. But with children Katherine Mary in 1960 and George Andrew in 1962, she became a stay-at-home mom until 1970, when the newly formed computer department at Bucknell offered her a part-time computer programmer position. She stayed with the Bucknell Computer Center for more than 25 years, advancing within the department. When she retired in the late 90s, she was the most promoted woman in Bucknell history, retiring from the position of Acting Director.
She was very proud of her time at Bucknell, having kept a small piece of the original Sigma 6 computer that took up an entire room in the computer center. Retirement did not slow Ruth down, as she became active in the community, notably as the secretary for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and as a volunteer for the Donald Heiter Community Center.
Among Ruth’s many achievements were president of the PTA, president of the AAUW, and a place winner at the Union County Chocolate Festival multiple times. Ruth enjoyed traveling, including three months in Europe on her honeymoon, vacationing internationally, and enjoying business trips throughout the US.
She was an avid reader, being especially fond of mystery novels and historical fiction. In her later years, she enjoyed playing computer games and watching eagles’ nests online. She was also an avid sports fan, faithfully following Bucknell basketball, the Baltimore Colts/Ravens, and the Chicago Cubs, being ecstatic to see them finally win the World Series a few years ago.
Ruth was a resident of the Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village for more than a decade, participating in many activities and enjoying her friends in that community.
She is survived by her two children and three grandchildren, Rachael Coup of Wilkes- Barre, Natasha Drozin of New Orleans, and Samuel Drozin of Henniker, N.H.
The family will gather privately at a time of their choosing.
Friends may honor her memory with a contribution to the Union County Public Library or the Donald Heiter Community Center.