Mary Jane McCarthy-Ruff 1941-2005

MCCARTHY, RUFF, HIRTZ, HEINS, WERNER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 7/25/2017 at 22:45:52

Mary Jane McCarthy-Ruff, 59, of Dubuque, formerly of Bernard, Iowa, died at 6:31 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009, at The Finley Hospital, Dubuque.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Holy Family Catholic Church, New Mellerary, Iowa, with the Rev. Richard Kuhn officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the church. The Reiff Funeral Home, Cascade, is in charge of arrangements.

She was born on Feb. 11, 1949, in Monticello, daughter of Ralph and Loretta (Hirtz) McCarthy. She was a graduate of Western Dubuque High School and University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, where she received her Bachelor of Science in special education.

She then went on to teach in the Cedar Rapids School District and then the Dubuque Community School District, most recently at Audubon School. She was highly respected by her peers, and was loved by all her students, to whom she devoted 30 years of her life.

She married the love of her life, Donald Ruff, of Dubuque, on Aug. 16, 1996. She and Don enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting, gardening and camping. They also had a deep love for animals and always had pets by their side.

Mary Jane loved her family and enjoyed getting together to share a great meal, good conversation and wonderful music. She also shared her talents in theater productions at Barn Community Theater, Xavier Follies and the Grand Opera House. She always will be remembered for her quick wit and sense of humor. She was not only a devoted wife, she was a generous, loving woman who had a passion for living life and sharing her gift of love with everyone she met.

Surviving are her husband, Donald Ruff, of Dubuque; her stepdaughter, Beth (Harry) Heins, of Monona, Iowa, and their children, Ashley and Nicole; her mother, Loretta McCarthy, of Bernard; siblings, Pat (Kate) McCarthy, of Dyersville, Tom (Maureen) McCarthy, of Sherrill, Susan (Ed) Werner, of Epworth, Bob (Julie) McCarthy, of Peosta, Bill (Jan) McCarthy, of Cascade, Millie (fiancé, Rick Justus) McCarthy, of Shorewood, Wis., and Ron (Judy) McCarthy, of Epworth; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Ralph McCarthy, on May 11, 1988; and a sister, Marjorie Ann McCarthy, in 1954.

In lieu of flowers, a Mary Jane Ruff Memorial Fund has been established.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.reifffuneralhomeinc.com.

We would like to thank the medical team and their staff at Stonehill Franciscan Services, Finely Hospital, Dubuque Internal Medicine and TriState Dialysis. We would especially like to thank Ann O'Brien and Dr. Whalen for their caring, compassionate concern for Mary Jane and her family.

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Thursday, January 8, 2009