Tributes to honour Ruth Golembo

Ruth Golembo

Ruth has been described as a remarkable woman and her death is a great loss, not only to her family and friends, but to the broader media and communications industry in South Africa, where she made a huge contribution in a career spanning over 30 years.

She was from Cradock in the Eastern Cape and attended Rhenish Girls’ High School, Stellenbosch, before studying law at the University of Pretoria and going into journalism.

She started her career as a journalist at the Sunday Times, later, after adding a financial qualification to her law degree, she worked as a senior investment columnist on Business Times and for the Financial Mail investment section.

She joined Lange PR over 25 years ago, later acquiring the majority shareholding and rebranding to Lange 360. Lange was acquired by Meropa Communications in 2015, in a deal which saw Ruth taking up a special strategic role in the business. She took semi-retirement shortly after the merger.

At the time of the merger, in June 2015, Meropa CEO, Peter Mann, said he greatly admired what Golembo and her team had achieved in the communications and public relations arena, according to Fin24.

In a statement, Meropa described Ruth “as a hard-working, entrepreneurial communications professional who not only built up a successful public relations consultancy (creating many long-term jobs) but who gave unstintingly of her time and expertise to sector organisations such as the Cape Town Press Club.

“Ruth was an often-quoted thought leader in the strategic communications arena. She was acknowledged by clients, team members and industry professionals for her unwavering commitment to the broader communications industry.

“Ruth was incredibly generous in both sharing her knowledge and skills and inspired everyone with her enthusiasm and insights.”

In a statement, the Cape Town Press Club, expressed deep sadness at Ruth’s sudden passing. She was a former vice-chair of the Cape Town Press Club. “Ruth has been one of the club’s longest serving and most loyal committee members, and helped arrange some of the club's most successful club events and was also much involved in fundraising activities.

“Her commitment to the ideals for which the Club stood for, and her energy, work-ethic and talent will remain an inspiration to the rest of us. We will miss Ruth deeply, and send our condolences to her friends, family and colleagues.”

On various Facebook forums, friends expressed their shock at her sudden death, lauding her as “a wonderful mentor and inspiration in the industry”; “an industry stalwart, gone far too soon”; “a big smile and a heart to match”; “an inspiring and dynamic lady”; and much more in the same vein.

“She truly was an icon in our industry. She will be sorely missed. Wishing her family long life,” commented recruitment specialist, Viv Gordon.

Cape Town Press Club secretary-general, Donwald Pressly, said Ruth was “one of the most vibrant people I have ever encountered”.

PR industry specialist, Brian Berkman, writing on Bizcommunity.com’s Tribute Wall for Ruth Golembo, described her as “kind and generous with her time” and someone who was “passionate about PR being a results-driven profession”.

And her former business partner at Lange 360, Shelly Stamatiadis, now with Meropa Communications, expressed her heartbreak at the news. “Her tireless enthusiasm, love of life, generosity and inspiration infected all who met her. She opened her heart and home to all she knew, enveloping them into her circle of light and love. Ruth inspired and enabled so many to follow successful careers in both the media and PR industries and will be sorely missed.”

Ruth is survived by her husband Dr Bob Mesarcik, who she met when they were both students, and sons Paul, Misha and David, the youngest of whom is in Matric.

*Bizcommunity.com has set up a Tribute Page for anyone to pay tribute to Ruth.