James M. Ruffing

James “Jim” Michael Ruffing, age 82, a longtime resident of Delaware, Ohio and most recently residing in Lancaster, Ohio, passed away Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at Fairfield Medical Center to be with Our Lord.

As a loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother, he was a gentle man, was insatiably curious, and enjoyed conversing with everyone.

Jim was born on December 19, 1941 in Bellevue, Ohio to the late Mark and Stella (Krupp) Ruffing of Bellevue. Growing up, he was known for his love of cars and loud music. Following his graduation in 1960 from Bellevue High School, Jim enlisted in the United States Navy, motivated in large part by the prospect of being trained in electronics. During leave, Jim would hitchhike to and from Bellevue to see his love, Mavalynn [“Mava” or “Mavie”] Margaret Roberts, a 1960 graduate of neighboring York High School in Clyde, Ohio until they wed on October 13, 1962 at Charleston Naval Base, South Carolina. While in the Navy, Jim was assigned to the nuclear submarine USS Abraham Lincoln and was involved peripherally in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Following four years in the Navy, in further pursuit of his passion for electronics, Jim obtained a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree from the Ohio State University in electrical engineering. Jim also worked as a graduate student teacher at OSU while pursuing doctorate-level courses in the field. Jim learned to be resourceful while a student, searching for discarded bottles to return and collect the deposit, repairing and selling motorcycles that owners had crashed and were eager to part ways with, and, together with Mava who had earned her real estate license, buying and maintaining student and other rental housing units.

After OSU, Jim was employed as an electrical engineer at SEA Electric in Columbus, followed by North Electric (later ITT North) in Delaware, near which Jim and Mava moved with their three children in 1975. They spent most of their lives there, raising their family (and becoming grandparents to thirteen grandchildren), devoted to each other, their home, and their hobbies.

Jim transitioned to retirement in his early 40s to invest in the stock market, an interest that appealed to him for its greater flexibility and freedoms, making his money work for him instead of the other way around. Shortly thereafter, he developed late-onset Type I diabetes, a life-altering and endless diagnosis which he assiduously researched, recorded, and railed against conventional management – and did so with predominant and distinct success, vigor, conviction, and pride.

In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Mava; ON HIS SIDE by brothers Mark (Peggy), John, and William [“Bill”] (Marcie) Ruffing; and brother-in-law William [“Bill”] Kocher; and ON MAVA’s SIDE by brother-in-law Samuel Roberts and sister-in-law Alice (Roberts) Van Valkenberg.

Jim is survived ON HIS SIDE by his sister Marilyn (Ruffing) Kocher; brothers Francis (Jennifer) and Terry (Sharon) Ruffing; and sister-in law Eileen Ruffing; ON MAVA’s SIDE by his sister-in-law Kathy (Roberts) (Verhoff) Ashbaugh; and WITH MAVA, by their daughter Donna (Garnail) Fulton and grandchildren Megan, Austin, Haley, Leah, and Caleb; daughter Debra (Kirk) Pierce and grandchildren Rachel, Henry, Simon, and Natalie; and son Michael (April) Ruffing and grandchildren Stephanie, Jessica, Ashley, and Mark.

Family and friends are invited to attend the funeral mass, interment, and/or luncheon in honor and memory of Jim on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, beginning at 10:00 am and progressing in succession from St. Gaspar Del Buffalo Catholic Church, nearby St. Michael’s Cemetery, and the St. Gaspar Parish Hall, respectively, all in close proximity on County Road 46, Bellevue, OH  44811 where Jim spent a significant portion of his youth living, playing, working, and going to school and church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s name to The Senior Hub / Meals on Wheels of Fairfield County, via mail (1515 Cedar Hill Road, Lancaster, OH  43130), telephone (740-681-5050), or online (theseniorhubfc.org/donate).