Ruth Lorins, a 56-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on April 20 at the age of 98. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 1, 1908, Lorins moved to the Palisades with her husband Nat in 1951, when Nat was semi-retired and the couple were looking to settle in a small, intimate town. They bought their first home on Amalfi, where they raised their daughter Betty. Lorins was fluent in several languages, including Spanish, which she used in her volunteer work to assist immigrants in acclimating to life in Los Angeles. She was an accomplished poet and author of three volumes of poetry, including ‘Autumn Years,’ ‘Years at Eventide’ and ‘Green Rain for John,’ dedicated to her grandson John Baruch, who was killed in 1976 in a mountain-climbing accident at the age of 19. In one poem, ‘Epitaph For Myself,’ written just before John’s death, Lorins concludes with a prescient comment on the preciousness of life: ‘So if you would my spirit placate/Enjoy the space on earth I vacate.’ Lorins was named Poet Laureate of Pacific Palisades, a title she held throughout the 1970s and ’80s. A tiny woman, standing just 4 ft. 10 inches, Lorins was a familiar figure in the Village in her later years. She was always identified by the colorful umbrella she carried to protect her sun-sensitive skin. Predeceased in 1990 by Nat, her husband of 61 years, Lorins is survived by her daughter Betty (husband Jack) of Pacific Palisades; grandchildren Jeanne Baruch of Santa Monica and William Baruch of Seattle; and grandson Zachary Statler of Santa Monica. She was also well cared for during the past six years by Lakshmi Guiney. She will be remembered for her books, paintings and spirit.
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