Johanna (Hanna) R. Reig
Johanna Helen Ruby, 78, of Rome, passed away on April 18, 2016. She was the daughter of the late George James and Helen (Beck) Ruby. She was born on May 11, 1937 at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, grew up in Rome, and graduated high school from Rome Free Academy in 1955. Hanna married Raymond Walter Reig on May 9, 1970. Ray passed away in January 2009.
Hanna graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1959. She proceeded to study Education at Harvard, and Decorative Arts at George Washington University.
As a young woman, Hanna worked as a secondary school educator in the Rome City School District as a teacher of History, Government and English for four years and served as an officer in the Rome Teacher’s Association. She then moved to Washington, DC, where she worked as an Research Assistant with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; starting just 60 days before the assassination of JFK. She worked as Assistant Director of Executive Training at the Library of Congress and came back to Central New York due to a case of mononucleosis, which serendipitously landed her a position as the first woman planner for one of thirteen New York State regional planning districts; working as City and Regional Planner in the Herkimer/Oneida County’s Comprehensive Planning Office. She loved and reveled in her professional life.
Mrs. Reig served as the Confidential Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC during the Reagan Administration.
Hanna formed her own Interior Design firm, Just for You Interiors, in 1983 in Alexandria, Virginia. Her company serviced East Coast Clientele from Central New York through Washington DC to Florida, including private, corporate, and governmental agencies. She strove to keep her focus current through extensive research into design trends and a hands-on approach to all of her efforts. She was particularly proud of design work that she performed for the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Upon her husband’s retirement, they moved back to Rome, to reside in the home her grandfather built. There they made tremendous contributions to the city through community service.
Hanna was a life-long volunteer, even while raising a family. She used her experience as a city regional planner to successfully manage many community efforts for school, local government, political, and social organizations such as the Air War College in Montgomery Alabama, Class of ’73, the Utica and Long Island Junior Leagues, and throughout the Central New York, Long Island, and Washington, DC areas. Hanna volunteered as Vice President of Rome Clean & Green/Keep America Beautiful, and she was Chairman of the Rome Main Streets Alliance Design Committee in Rome, and was a strong advocate for governmental organization, planning, and beautification. As accomplished a professional woman as Hanna was, she loved getting her hands dirty. She was an avid gardener and loved nothing more than working out in the natural world.
She is survived by her son, Derrick Raymond Reig and his wife, Carolyn, of Washington, DC; brothers, James Ruby and his wife, Sally, Thomas Ruby and his wife, MaryAnn, as well as six nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be celebrated Saturday morning at 10:30 at St. Paul’s Church for a mass of Christian burial with the Reverend Robert Kelly as celebrant; where relatives and friends are invited to attend. Interment in the United States Naval Academy Columbarium.
As per Hanna’s wishes, there will be no calling hours.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Bottini Funeral Home, 120 W. Embargo St. Rome.
