Short

“One of my most memorable opera moments was on a Sunday afternoon, December 12, 1993. Thanks to the San Francisco Opera archives, I confirmed the exact date. Leonie Rysanek bid farewell to San Francisco Opera, leaving me and others in tears as she spoke of her great affection for SF Opera. She made her American debut here in 1956. Three thousand people jumped to their feet to applaud and cheer in recognition of her 37 years with us. I marveled at the experience of that public recognition and support for her work—in the hard-charging world of high-tech, I would be happy to have one person in a given year tell me that I did a ‘good job.’

I got hooked on opera long before that when I first subscribed in 1972. My goal was to soak up as much opera as possible over my lifetime. That realization came to me during a 1989 opera tour of Eastern Europe where I saw 16 operas in 17 days! My fellow opera-lovers know the feeling when opera undoubtedly takes root in your life.

When I returned home I doubled my donation to the Opera and later made the decision to make a legacy gift commitment.”

As a single woman, Ruth contemplated how members of her extended family would benefit from a gift via her estate, particularly the gift of her beautiful home. With little family living in the area, no one was interested in moving into the home or keeping it as a rental property (given the cost of maintaining a home in the Bay Area). Says Ruth, “It quickly became obvious that a bequest of my home to the charity I love made the most sense. And since I cannot provide large annual gifts to the Opera, leaving my greatest asset to them is one way I can demonstrate my ongoing commitment to the Company.”

As a longtime subscriber and Opera board member, and as chairwoman of the Opera’s legacy giving committee, Ruth knows San Francisco Opera well and urges everyone who loves the Opera to join the Bel Canto Legacy Society. San Francisco Opera celebrates the extraordinary support of Ruth and other patrons like her.