The Story of Lawrence and Ruth Borger

"Rooted in Justice, Grown in Love: The Story of Lawrence and Ruth Borger"

In a quiet Queens apartment, surrounded by books, hand-planted trees, and the music of Verdi echoing gently from a record player, Lawrence and Ruth Borger built a life grounded in purpose, compassion, and unwavering hope for the world they believed could be better.

They met in 1945—he, a returned soldier from the battle-scarred landscapes of Europe, where he had served with the 824th Tank Destroyer Battalion; she, a social worker in the Veterans Administration, helping young men like him find footing again. He had seen the forests of Europe lit with fire and gunpowder. She had seen the cost of war written across wounded hearts and hollowed eyes. Perhaps that is why they recognized each other so easily.

Lawrence—“Larry” to those who knew him—was a man of the soil, a trained arborist who believed that planting a tree was not just a job, but a gesture of faith. His career in forestry, nurtured at Syracuse University’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, extended into education, community service, and progressive activism. He taught at John Bowne High School, presided over arborist associations, helped revitalize the Queens Botanical Garden, and in his final days, still marveled at evolution, biodiversity, and the quiet intelligence of plants. He played the harmonica with the same kind of thoughtful breath he gave to life: gentle, rooted, meaningful.

But Larry Borger’s job went far beyond working with trees.

He spent a lifetime spreading his enthusiasm for environmental and progressive causes to others—from aspiring arborists and horticulturists to unemployed city residents looking for job training, to his three daughters.

"Anything was an opportunity to teach us about trees," said his daughter, Margaret Borger of Bayside. "There's a whole generation of landscapers and tree arborists and urban foresters who were really mentored by my father."

Borger’s first language was sign language; both his parents were deaf. He graduated from the Syracuse College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 1937 and spent over 75 years working with trees. His career began in 1938 when he traveled to western Maine, fresh out of college, to assess damage caused by the Great New England Hurricane.

His career paused only for World War II, where he served in Europe. He met Ruth while on leave at an Adirondack resort. As Ruth recalled with a smile:

“I said, ‘I heard you last night and it was lovely,’” referring to his performance of Maple on the Hill. “What else do you say to a young man flirtatiously?”

After the war, they married and settled in Bayside. Larry worked with the city’s Parks Department as a pruner and “Bengal lancer”—slang for those who speared litter with sharp sticks—before founding Trees and Gardens, his own company, based in Little Neck.

"He came home really dirty and full of oil and grease," Margaret said. "That was just everyday stuff for us, because Dad loved his work."

He brought that love of work to everything he touched. Whether testifying as an expert witness in tree-related court cases, mentoring students and professionals, or simply observing the subtle shift in a tree's leaf color, Larry was a living encyclopedia of arboreal life.

Susan Lacerte, Executive Director of the Queens Botanical Garden, once said:

“He could see subtle differences in color of leaves, in the form and the vigor, and he would be able to paint a story of what might have happened there.”

He was a teacher in every moment of his life. A peaceful warrior, he used his hands to plant, build, and teach—not to destroy.

Ruth—born Ruth Diamond in 1922 to immigrant parents from Eastern Europe—was equally grounded in her purpose. A graduate of Hunter College and Columbia University’s School of Social Work, she worked tirelessly to help veterans, students, and neighbors in need. She taught her children and community the value of standing up for what matters, whether through the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy or her quiet leadership in the Tuesday Morning Music Club.

They were married for 66 years.

Together, Ruth and Larry raised their daughters—Irene, Margaret, and Kate—with the values of compassion, justice, and dedication. Their legacy endures not only in their family, but in the trees Larry planted, the lives Ruth healed, and the community they nurtured together.

They are, in every sense, a part of the landscape—human, cultural, and natural—of New York. And like the strongest trees, their roots run deep.

~Blog by Deirdre Poulos