Ruth E. (Lang) Schwab, 88, philanthropist, arts enthusiast, and former Assistant to the Consulate General of Germany in Boston, died peacefully and without discomfort on Sunday, December 24, 2017 at Massachusetts General Hospital, following a stroke earlier in the week. A resident of Monument Street in Concord since 1991, she was the wife of the late Walter C. Schwab, MIT Alumnus and Professor of Electrical Engineering at Northeastern; the couple had previously lived in Dover MA. Mrs. Schwab was born in Solingen, Germany on February 24, 1929 to her late parents, Gustav and Erna (Hussels) Lang. After attending school in Germany, she immigrated to the United States in 1952, taking her first employment at Peter Fuller Cadillac and becoming an American citizen soon thereafter. In 1954 the German Consulate in Boston re-opened following a thirteen year hiatus caused by the effects of World War II; Mrs. Schwab was offered the position of Assistant to the Consulate General, a post which she retained for the next thirty-five years, serving at least twelve sitting Consuls and accommodating the requirements of visiting German Ambassadors, with several of whom she maintained lifelong friendships. A generous and eclectic philanthropist devoted to more than twenty charities, she supported the work of veterans and police associations, animal welfare organizations,, and causes sustaining elder, visually impaired, single parent, and educationally underfunded communities. Among her affiliations were the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and the Wounded Warriors project. Locally she was consistent in her support for Lahey and Emerson Hospitals Health Care Foundations, Perkins School for the Blind, and the Hugh Cargill Trust in Concord. An avid patron of the arts, Mrs. Schwab encouraged and donated to symphonies, ballet companies, and was especially dedicated to the classic Big Band and New Orleans Jazz community of musicians whose work she actively endorsed in innumerable ways, including contributions to such educational efforts as the Broadnax Scholarship Fund at Boston's Roland Hayes School of Music. Beyond her quiet, often anonymous commitment to the good work she endorsed and the fortunate associates whose lives she touched with grace and generosity, Mrs. Schwab's greatest personal joy throughout her adult life was in caring for her succession of beloved poodles. Those who were privileged to know her, including her long time friend Joseph Grassia of Concord, will cherish her memory. Visiting hours will take place on Thursday, December 28th from 4 to 8 pm in the Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord Center. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Buddy Dog Humane Society, 151 Boston Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776 or to Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org). Arrangements are under the care of the Dee Funeral Home of Concord.