Ruth Smenyak Payt's Obituary
Our loving mother, Ruth Smenyak Payt, passed peacefully on February 10, 2025, in Dublin, Ohio, at the age of 93. Ruth was preceded by her beloved husband, Robert E. “Bob” Payt, married 66 years, who passed in 2016. A native of Gary, Indiana, she was the youngest child of a large Hungarian family who immigrated to America at the turn of last century, eventually landing in the steel mills of Gary, Indiana. At age 18, she married Bob, a returning Marine from WWII’s South Pacific theatre, whose Ukrainian family had taken a similar journey to America. They shared an intrepid spirit, moving to downtown Chicago, where they worked in various positions including in steel brokerage and at the Shell corporation. Their entrepreneurial spirit led them to the booming Columbus, Ohio, area to start a new company building homes for returning Korean War veterans. Over subsequent decades, they built that business, specializing in federal projects, into one of the largest general construction firms in central Ohio. Partners together in all things, their lives exemplified a distinct “greatest generation” grit, grounded in the spirit of hopefulness and an aspiration that anything was possible in America.
As a devoted mother, she nurtured the talents of each of her three children, Sharon, Janice, and Steve, inspiring them with her wide-ranging interests in travel, art, and politics. She was a classical pianist and artist who loved music and painting. Ruth was known for her deep Christian faith which she combined with her abiding interest in politics and political history, resulting in many in Washington, D.C. calling upon her to pray for their work in the Senate, in human rights, and combatting international trafficking. She profoundly loved her family, and through her example infused all who knew her with her strong faith in Christ. Ruth is survived by her three children: Sharon Payt of Washington, D.C.; Janice Payt Lacy (and her husband Jim) of Orange County, California; Steven Payt of Dublin, Ohio; and her extended family in Indiana, Michigan, and Georgia. We miss her deeply, while celebrating that she has joyfully taken her place among the great crowd of witnesses.
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