Ruth Firestone, age 89 of Hays, Kansas died Monday, October 20, 2025 at HaysMed - Hays. She was born in 1936 in Baltimore, Maryland, to Ruth and John Hartzell, she spent her early years in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania—a suburb of Philadelphia—in a house that was part of the historic Underground Railroad.
She studied music at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with the intention of becoming an opera singer; however, she soon discovered that her true love was linguistics and the German language. She earned her bachelor's degree in German and linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school.
During her time at the University of Pennsylvania, she met and married Robert Rentz. Although they divorced soon after, she often said that he had been the funniest person she had ever known.
In 1963, newly divorced, she moved with her two young children, Susan and Mark (Andrew), to Boulder, Colorado, to pursue her master’s degree in German and linguistics. During her studies, she met the true love of her life, Robert Todd Firestone. They married in 1970, and in 1973, after being awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder, she became an assistant professor at the University of Missouri in Columbia. She eventually gained tenure and became chair of the Germanic and Slavic Languages Department, a position she held for many years.
In the late 1980s, she moved to Hays, Kansas, where she became chair of the Modern Languages Department at Fort Hays State University, a position she held until her retirement. In 2000 she was awarded the Fort Hays State University President’s Distinguished Scholar Award, a prestigious award that is given to only one faculty member each year, recognizing her excellence in research within her field of study.
She leaves behind two children: Mark Andrew and Susan (Doug); one grandchild, Katharine Abdoo (Sean); and two great-grandchildren, Brie and Will Abdoo. Her brother, John (Patricia), predeceased her.
She was an active member of St. Joseph’s Parish and a supporter of its food pantry, she also was very involved in community theater, appearing in many plays alongside her husband, Robert. A strong supporter of the Fort Hays State University theater and music departments, she also supported local artists and was an active member for many years of the Friends of the Hays Public Library. She firmly believed that every child should have at least one book of their own.
She wrote many articles for the Hays Daily News and The Hays Post, reviewing local plays and musical events. In the early 2000s, she was awarded a grant to attend an institute in New York for individuals who write entertainment reviews.
She traveled to Germany many times and was deeply grateful to have lived to see the fall of the Berlin Wall and to visit East Germany. She and her husband, Robert, were generous philanthropists who supported many organizations through their charitable donations.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 1:00 PM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 215 West 13th Street Hays, Kansas 67601. Ruth's family will receive guests from 12:00 until service time with Inurnment following the mass in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery - Hays.
In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to: The St. Joseph Food Pantry and/or Friends of the Hays Public Library in care of the Funeral Chapel.
Services in care of Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory - Brock's Chapel 2509 Vine Street Hays, Kansas 67601.
Memories and words of comfort can be shared with Ruth's family on her tribute page via www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com.