Ruth Scheiber-Kurtz

Lexington, Massachusetts - On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, Rudi (Ruth) Scheiber-Kurtz passed away peacefully following a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Just as she lived, Rudi died with her family by her side, including her husband of 25 years, Michael Kurtz, her three children, Jan Groblewski, Peter Groblewski, and Natasha Robinson, and their spouses.

 

Rudi was born to Elsbeth Shenk and Hans Scheiber on April 26, 1951, in Aarau, canton Aargau, Switzerland.  She was the second of three children, with older brother Hanspeter (1948-2022) and younger brother Urs.  After completing an apprenticeship in pharmacy, she moved to the United States at age 19 to learn English and work as an au pair for a family in Brookline, Massachusetts.  It was there that she met her first husband, Casimir Groblewski, whom she married in 1971.  Together, they moved to Lexington, Massachusetts, where they started their family.

 

While raising her three children, Rudi returned to school to complete her bachelor’s degree at Lesley College and earn an MBA from Simmons University. From there, she embarked on a 20-year business career highlighted by founding and running her company, Next Stage Solutions, specializing in business finance leadership. She served on many boards and promoted women in entrepreneurship and finance. She was the former president of XPX Boston, an association of professional advisors working collaboratively on business exit planning. But the business endeavor she was perhaps most proud of was writing and publishing Stop Compromising, a book describing her tenets on finance for business leaders.

 

Since 2016, Rudi worked lovingly alongside her daughter to build and operate barre3 Bedford. The barre3 Bedford community will always remember her warm smile at the front desk and her dedicated care for clients’ children during classes. Together Rudi and Natasha cultivated and nourished a community and team of supportive women, an accomplishment of which Rudi was incredibly proud.

 

Throughout her life, Rudi had an intense passion for the arts and music.  An established jazz and classical pianist in her own right, Rudi was also a talented vocalist. She sang in various choral groups over the years, including most recently, the Concord Chorus and First Parish Choir.  Rudi and Michael also loved attending the symphony in Boston and Tanglewood and seeing operas during their travels in Europe.  Rudi’s creative spirit was evident through her leadership in Arts Lexington and Arts Created Together, organizations that offered art education programs for children. Rudi enjoyed art in every way she could, from visiting museums to supporting galleries to buying handmade crafts. She saw and loved the color and beauty in everything, everywhere.

 

Perhaps her greatest joy was spending time with her five grandchildren: Bizzy, Harper, Tallulah, Owen, and Isla. She was with them whenever possible, always showered them with love, and had a very special relationship with each of them. She also shared her love for everything Swiss with them, just as she had with her children – from Swiss Christmas traditions to Swiss literature and delicious Swiss cuisine. Her grandchildren will fondly remember Rudi as their “Buetti,” who was never short on educational art projects and excursions, nature walks, vibrant laughs, and open discussions.