1927 – 2013

Ruth Kraft (nee Nathanson) died peacefully in her sleep May 9 surrounded by her family. Ruth had been battling cancer for many years. She was 86 years old.

Steve Moyer, the Kraft family’s spokesperson, said,  “According to her wishes, Mrs. Kraft will be buried along with her beloved husband, Gilman Kraft, who predeceased her in June 1999.”

Ruth was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on Feb. 17, 1927, the daughter of Florence and Solomon Nathanson. Ruth went to work at the age of 13 working at various jobs, including the telephone company, stuffing envelopes, and sewing cummerbunds. Ruth also worked at Playbill magazine in New York.

On Aug. 25, 1962, Ruth married Gilman Kraft at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. In 1966, the Kraft family moved to Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, Ruth and Gil started Performing Arts magazine, a theater publication similar to Playbill. The couple also invested in real estate in Beverly Hills and Malibu over many years.

Ruth loved singing and music and was also an active volunteer, working for the Golden Key Foundation, The Westside Center for Independent Living, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Her sons, Frank Pelosa of Eureka, Calif. and Richard Kraft of Malibu; her daughters, Susan Holley of Los Angeles and Dana Kraft Kitaj of Westwood; as well as 10 grandchildren and five great grandchildren survive her.

A celebration of Ruth’s life will be held at the Beverly Hills Tennis Club, 340 North Maple Drive, Beverly Hills, at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Westside Center for Independent Living, the Tower Cancer Foundation, and/or The Heart Fund.