He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Carol Joye (Slattery), predeceased by his first wife Diane (Ruoff) O’Connor, and his parents, Christian (CJ) and Ida Ruoff. He is survived by his brother Bill (Helen) Ruoff, sister Lorrie (Richard) Daniels, great aunts Melanie (Wowkowych) Heberle and Stephany Wowkowych, his six children and stepchildren: Chris (Kathy) Ruoff, Cindy Ruoff, Tim (Betsy) Ruoff, Denise (Nick D’Apice) Hoffman, Joann Slattery, Jamie (Kimberly) Slattery, as well as nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He will always be remembered as a dedicated husband, loving father, faithful friend, and leader in his community. Above all, he was a proud patriot and supporter of the U.S. armed forces and veterans causes.
Ralph was raised in Irondequoit and Brockport, graduating from Brockport High School in 1954 and then attending Bucknell University in 1955 and Rochester Institute of Technology in 1956. He then briefly joined his father, Christian (CJ) Ruoff in the Ruoff family refuse business that had been operating since 1923. In 1959, Ralph was drafted into the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Dix, New Jersey and then Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – where he received an honorable discharge in 1962. When he returned to the Rochester area, he re-joined his father and his brother in the family refuse business where, in 1962, they consolidated their operations into Ruoff Incorporated. Ruoff, Inc. continued expanding in the Greater Rochester area until its sale to Waste Management in 1992. During that time, Ralph was Vice-President and oversaw business operations for the company. After selling Ruoff, Inc., Ralph and Carol moved to Sarasota, Florida to retire.
For decades, Ralph was a pillar of the Webster, New York Community. Recognized by almost everyone, he was a long-time member of the Webster Kiwanis Club, being named Kiwanian of the Year in 1973-74 and then serving as President from 1985-86. He was also a member of the Webster Chamber of Commerce where he served as President from 1988-90 and then Chairman from 1990-92. In 1990, in celebration of Webster’s Sesquicentennial, Ralph led the creation of a time capsule project that included artifacts from many local Webster businesses. The time capsule was buried at The Webster Sesquicentennial Arboretum at Kent Park and is scheduled to be unearthed and opened in 2040. Ralph was also co-owner of the Stagecoach Restaurant in Webster from 1983–88. Ralph was also a member of the Irondequoit Bay Fish and Game Club, Mohawk Yacht Club, Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club, Webster Golf Club, and Wild Wood (Thunder Ridge) Country Club.
After arriving in Sarasota, “Rocky” (as he now wanted to be known) wanted to further his artistic talents and re-kindled his interest by taking painting classes through the Ringling School of Art & Design. He then became interested in stained glass as a medium where he could express his true feelings and took classes from a local artist. In his workshops he created many beautiful pieces for his family and friends, and his story was featured in the September 26, 2002, edition of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
As a life-long baseball fan, Rocky enjoyed attending Spring Training and volunteered for the Pirates organization in Bradenton, and he and Carol loved attending Orioles games in Sarasota. Since 2016, Ralph has been a Trustee of the Funeral Consumer’s Alliance of Sarasota-Manatee, which is a nonprofit, nonsectarian, consumer organization serving those concerned with their rights and choices in making dignified funeral arrangements.
The family will hold a private memorial service in the future, where Ralph (Rocky) will be interred at Sarasota Veterans Cemetery, in Sarasota, Florida. Donations can be made in his memory to Shriners Hospital for Children (donate.lovetotherescue.org).
For online tributes, please visit www.rtsfunerals.com
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