Joseph J. Ruffo

Joseph J. Ruffo

Joseph J. Ruffo, 88, of Erie, passed away Saturday, May 29, 2021 surrounded by his loving family. He was born on June 18, 1932 in Smithton, Pennsylvania, the son of the late Michael and Beatrice Reno Ruffo.

Joseph graduated from Erie Tech High in 1951 where he was on the football team. He was a veteran of the Korean War.

Joseph graduated from the Traffic Police Administration Training Program at the Northwestern University Traffic Institute in Evanston, Illinois. He worked for the Erie City Police Force, retiring as Captain and then worked for the Domestic Relations Office of Erie County.

Joseph was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Wolves Club.

Joseph meant so much to so many and gave selflessly. He placed the needs of others before his own. His desire was that everyone he loved was taken care of regardless of what he was going through. His only reward was to see you smile. He loved his wife more than life itself. There was nothing better for him than hearing the laughter of his family around the dining room table on Sundays for spaghetti dinner. He built a legacy for his family, one that will carry on for generations to come.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Paul Thompson; sisters, Eleanor Holby and Josephine Borkowski; brother, Anthony Ruffo; and beloved dog, Jonah.

He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Lucille "PeeWee" Abbey Ruffo; daughters, Debbie Thompson, Mary Sue Graham (Stuard), Kimberly Ferrara (Louis), and Rene Roach (Albert); son, Christopher Ruffo (Robert); sisters-in-law, Roseann Ruffo, Carol Clore, and Nancy Abbey; grandchildren, Rebecca, Joanna, Naomi, Nathaniel, Josiah, George, Kyle, Alissa, Destini, Julian, Caitlin, Natasha and Danielle; and great-grandchildren, Esther, Noelle, Nehemiah, Rachel, Simeon, Caden, Emma, Carson, Layna, Benjamin, and Kennedy. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Friends are invited to call at the John R. Orlando Funeral Home, Inc., 2122 Raspberry Street, on Friday from 2:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and may attend a Funeral Service there on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. The Erie Retired Police Officer's Association will hold a reading at the funeral home at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The Funeral Service will be live streamed on the funeral home's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/orlandofuneralhome. Burial will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.