Copyright manchestereveningnews
A devoted couple who 'couldn't bear to be apart' have passed away at a Swiss assisted dying clinic, after sending touching emails to their beloved relatives informing them of their decision. Neither Michael Posner, 97, nor his wife Ruth, 96, were battling a terminal illness, but they opted to die together, unable to contemplate the prospect of living without each other after 75 years of marriage, reports The Mirror. The pair, who lived in Belsize Park in north London, sent an email to their "Dear family and friends" on Tuesday, explaining their passing. The email stated: "So sorry not to have mentioned it but when you receive this email we will have 'shuffled off this mortal coil'. "The decision was mutual and without any outside pressure. We had lived a long life and together for almost 75 years. There came a point when failing senses, of sight and hearing and lack of energy was not living but existing that no care would improve." "We had an interesting and varied life and except for the sorrow of losing Jeremy, our son. We enjoyed our time together, we tried not to regret the past, live in the present and not to expect too much from the future. Much love Ruth and Mike." Ruth, a holocaust survivor, was remembered in a statement by the Campaign Against Antisemitism issued on Thursday. It read: "We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Ruth Posner BEM, Holocaust survivor and educator, and her husband Michael. "Thank you, Ruth. You were an inspiration and a shining example of how to use one's voice for good in this world. You will be greatly missed. May their memories be a blessing." Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of The Holocaust Educational Trust, said: "Ruth was an extraordinary woman. She survived the Radom Ghetto, slave labour and life in hiding under a false identity. By the end of the war, Ruth and her aunt were the only surviving members of her family. "After a dazzling career in theatre and dance, Ruth decided to begin sharing her testimony as a response to rising levels of antisemitism in the UK. Although then in her eighties, she made it her mission to speak to as many young people as possible about her experiences during the Holocaust. "She hoped that the leaders of tomorrow would learn the lessons of the past. Ruth was one of a kind. Full of charisma and warmth, she left an impression on everyone she met. We will miss her." Ms Posner had escaped to Britain at 16 years old using false papers to flee the Warsaw ghetto. Throughout the three years she spent avoiding capture, she posed as a Catholic schoolgirl whilst the rest of her family died at the Treblinka extermination camp. She could not speak English when she reached Britain, yet pursued a dance career by joining the London Contemporary Dance Theatre. Following her theatre arts studies at Hunter College in New York, she managed to secure a position with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Ruth is renowned for her performances in a variety of productions, such as Leon The Pig Farmer and Love Hurts, and has also featured in Casualty and The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. In 1950, she married British national Michael, and their life was filled with worldwide adventures due to his profession as a chemist.
