Groff Funeral Homes
1607 East Perkins Avenue
Sandusky, OH 44870
Phone: 419-626-3632
Fax: 419-626-2445
Email: info@grofffuneralhomes.com
Website: http://www.grofffuneralhomes.com
View All Obituaries from Groff Funeral Homes
Mary Alice (Smith) Ruff, 96, residing in Vermilion, passed away Thursday afternoon, October 21, 2021 at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain.
Mary was born on September 24, 1925 in Sandusky, OH to the late Fred H. and Edna (Lauber) Smith.
Mary attended St. Mary's grade school and graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1943. She married her husband, Warren E. Ruff on November 26, 1949. She had previously been employed at Aero Specialties doing defense work during WWII. She also worked at Montgomery Ward, the JC Penney Company and Periodical Publishing Company. Mary was a charter member of St. Thomas Apostle Church in Sheffield Lake when it was established in 1962, where she was an active member both at the church and the school. She was a charter member of the Ladies Guild and an active member of the Legion of Mary and PTA. Once she moved back to Sandusky, she was a member at Holy Angels, and volunteered at both the church and the school. She was also a charter member on the newly formed Parish Council in the 1970's and an active member of the Altar and Rosary Society. She then moved to Haskins, OH and became a member of St. Aloysius Church in Bowling Green, where she was a Eucharistic minister for 25 years and also volunteered for funeral luncheons. She had weekly attendance at Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Hour for Vocations and a member of the Spiritual Supporters of St. Al's. She moved to Vermilion in 2015 to be closer to her family and is a current member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Vermilion, where she is a member of the Altar and Rosary Society. Mary was also active in the prison ministries of the Correctional Institute of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Houston, TX. She loved volunteering, being a stay at home mom, sewing, cooking, embossing, craftwork, gardening and spending time with her family.
Mary is survived by her daughter, Susan (Mike) Kennedy; two sons, David (Gail) and Daniel (Lisa) Ruff; seven grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives.
In addition to her parents, Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Warren E. Ruff in 2014; sisters, Margaret Scheller and Jane Gantz and brother, Charles Smith.
Friends may call on Monday, October 25, 2021 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Groff Funeral Homes & Crematory, 1607 E Perkins Ave, Sandusky. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 10:30 am at St. Mary Catholic Church, 731 Exchange St., Vermilion. Father Paul Schreiner will officiate. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery Sandusky.
Those wishing to contribute to Mary's memory may do so to Sorrowful Mother Shrine, 4106 OH-269, Bellevue, OH 44811 or to the EWTN, 5817 Old Leeds Rd., Irondale, AL 35210.
Condolences may be shared online at www.grofffuneralhomes.com.
