In Loving Memory of Ruth Laumbach Fried

In Loving Memory of Ruth Laumbach Fried

February 26, 1940 – November 13, 2024

Ruth Laumbach Fried passed away on November 13, 2024, at the age of 84. She will be remembered as a devoted mother, a gifted teacher, and a lifelong daughter of New Mexico whose love for family, learning, and place shaped the lives of everyone around her.

Born in Raton, New Mexico, on February 26, 1940, to George and Margaret Laumbach, Ruth grew up in nearby Springer on the Lazy V Bar Ranch. The landscape of northeastern New Mexico became part of who she was. She loved the deep blue skies, the piñon-juniper woodlands, the distant mesas, and the fragrance of rain falling on the high desert. Throughout her life she carried those memories with her, preserving them through stories, books, family traditions, and the deep affection she held for the place that raised her.

On August 6, 1963, she married David Fried. Together they built a home and family centered on love, kindness, and encouragement.

More than anything else, Ruth cherished being a mother.

She was a passionate advocate for her children, Bradley and Barbara, believing deeply in their abilities and always encouraging them to reach higher. She filled their childhood with special experiences and created a home that was welcoming, comfortable, and secure. Love was present not only in life’s major milestones but also in countless small acts of care. Freshly made beds, clean sheets, favorite meals, thoughtful celebrations, and an unwavering belief in her children all reflected the devotion that defined her life as a mother.

Food was one of the ways she expressed that love. Ruth enjoyed discovering new recipes, reading cookbooks and magazines, and watching cooking shows. Birthdays were especially important. Family members could choose their favorite meal and dessert, and she prepared them from scratch with great care. Angel Food Cake with Fluffy White Frosting, Applesauce Cake, Gingerbread Cake with hot lemon sauce, and freshly made Lemon Meringue Pie became cherished family traditions. Every meal she prepared carried a simple message: you are loved.

That same spirit guided her professional life.

Ruth devoted her career to education, particularly working with dyslexic and special-needs students. Through the Orton-Gillingham approach, she helped children who often struggled in traditional classrooms discover confidence in themselves and their abilities. She worked well into her 60s, patiently guiding students through challenges that others often failed to understand.

She had a remarkable empathy for children and for anyone experiencing difficulty. Whether as a mother, teacher, or friend, she instinctively looked for ways to help, encourage, and uplift others. Her greatest satisfaction came from seeing people succeed, especially those who needed someone to believe in them.

Ruth’s love for New Mexico remained a constant throughout her life. Her home reflected that connection through shelves filled with books about New Mexico history and culture and through traditional New Mexican meals she enjoyed preparing for family gatherings. Yet perhaps her greatest gift was sharing the place she loved with her children.

Summer visits to the Lazy V Bar Ranch near Springer allowed Bradley and Barbara to experience the world that had shaped their mother. They slept in the same rooms she and her sisters had occupied as children, spent time with their grandparents, and experienced the landscape she loved so dearly. Together they watched storm clouds gather over the mesas, breathed the scent of rain on the desert, enjoyed the cool evening air after summer storms, and slept beneath open windows in fresh line-dried sheets. Through those experiences, Ruth gave her children something lasting: a connection to family, place, and heritage.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, David Fried of Melbourne, Florida; son, Bradley Fried of Tokyo, Japan; her daughter, Barbara Fried Smith and her husband, Mark Smith, of Melbourne Village, Florida; and her beloved grandson, David Smith of Melbourne Village, Florida.

She is also survived by her brother, Karl Laumbach and his wife, Toni; her sister, Louise Luft; and her sister-in-law, Nancy Schober and her husband, Phil. She leaves behind many nieces and nephews who will remember her kindness, generosity, and enduring love of family.

Ruth’s legacy lives on in the children she raised, the students she helped, and the memories she shared. Those who knew her will remember a woman who devoted herself to making others feel valued, capable, and loved.

And perhaps nowhere is her spirit felt more strongly than in the landscape she cherished: beneath the vast blue skies of northeastern New Mexico, where summer rains sweep across the piñon and juniper, where the mesas stand watch over the plains, and where the roots of her family story run deep.

Celebration of Life

Family and friends are invited to gather in remembrance and gratitude for Ruth’s life.

Friday, October 16, 2026, 11:00 AM, Fairmont Cemetery, Raton, New Mexico

In the community where she was born and raised, we will celebrate the life of a beloved mother, grandmother, teacher, sister, daughter, and friend.

Forever loved. Forever remembered.

Arrangements for Ruth Laumbach Fried are entrusted to the Alderette-Pomeroy Funeral Home.