Oct. 22 ceremony will honor Ruth Canfield, who passed away last week
HEIGHTS – The city will hold a flag lowering ceremony on Oct. 22 in honor of retired Councilwoman, Mayor and Dearborn Heights District 7 Schools Trustee Ruth Canfield, who passed away Oct. 13 at the age of 85.
The ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on the grounds of City Hall, 6045 Fenton.
“Mayor Canfield was a tireless public servant who was dedicated to the success of our community” Mayor Baydoun said upon announcing the ceremony. “It is only fitting that we honor her memory in this way to recognize the many years of dedication and hard work she gave to our city.
“We invite family members, friends, residents, business owners and all whose lives were touched by Mayor Canfield to join us on Wednesday to celebrate her life and contributions.”
Elected city officials and city staff will attend the service.
“We also invite all our elected county, state and federal partners to join us for this important event” Baydoun said.
Canfield served on the City Council from 1979 to 1993. She served as mayor beginning in 1994, and held that office until her retirement in 2003. She is the first and only female to serve as mayor in Dearborn Heights. (Denise Malinowski-Maxwell briefly served as interim mayor when Dan Paletko died.) She was the daughter of John Canfield, who served as the city’s first mayor from 1963 to 1975.
“In our community, there is no such thing as a ‘former mayor’ Baydoun said. “Once an individual serves in that office, they are always known as a mayor – but once their tenure is completed, they are respectfully known as ‘retired mayor.’”