Ruth Iliff

Ruth Hedwig Iliff of Leawood, KS, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2018 at Sunrise Assisted Living of Leawood, where she had lived the past five years. Ruth was born on Oct. 3, 1925, near Karlsruhe, Germany, the daughter of Max and Hedwig Nagel. She grew up in Karlsruhe, and her experiences living in the Nazi era and through World War II were later the subject of several news articles and local presentations. After the war, she worked for the U.S. occupation administration. There she met Theodore D. Iliff of Topeka, KS. They married on July 10, 1948 in Karlsruhe and soon after moved to the Kansas City area, where they spent the rest of their lives. In the next 20 years, what began as home-based curtain-making evolved into a successful interior design business. In the early 70s, she transitioned into real estate, becoming a licensed broker and co-owner of a real estate company with her husband. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brother Max. She leaves three children—Theodore A. Iliff, Helen Marquette and Lt. Col. Paul R. Iliff (ret.); sister Hildegard Beck; sister-in-law Kathryn Iliff, daughters-in-law Marion Iliff and Julia Iliff, grandchildren Patrick and Denise Iliff, three nieces, three nephews and a large extended family she loved and cherished. She was a longtime patron of the Kansas City Symphony and Lyric Opera, and she served for many years as a docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She was an avid traveler and particularly enjoyed opera trips to New York with friends. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends donations to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art or the Kansas City Symphony. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 15, at Johnson County Chapel and Memorial Gardens, 11200 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS. Funeral services will be at the same location 11 a.m. Friday, March 16. Interment will follow. Fond memories and condolences may be left for the family at www.johnsoncountychapel.com