Keith Edward Ruff

RUFF

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 11/21/2023 at 08:23:14

Keith Edward Ruff, 78, disability advocate and dearly loved member of the Iowa City community, died peacefully on Friday, September 29, 2023 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City in the company of a dear friend.

Keith was born on June 1, 1945 in Norwalk, Connecticut. As a child with cerebral palsy and the resulting physical disabilities, life wasn’t easy and required an enormous amount of perseverance and determination to get through the day, let alone to accomplish all Keith did in his lifetime. He wouldn’t see it that way, however. He would tell you, “It is what it is. You figure out a way to get through, to get it done.” He succeeded in graduating from Ramapo College of New Jersey and in 1982, made the decision to move across country to Iowa City after seeing a poster that mentioned The University of Iowa was looking for college graduates with disabilities to apply to their graduate program in Rehabilitation Counseling. That bold move was the start of a new life of independence for Keith. He initially lived in Burge Hall and obtained an internship at Systems Unlimited, which ultimately developed into a full-time job.

During his four decades in Iowa City, Keith worked in several areas to improve opportunities for people with disabilities. For many years, he worked for Access 2 Independence (formally called the Connor Center), a federally funded center for independent living. As part of his work, he taught a course on skill-building for individuals with disabilities who sought to live independently. Keith participated in many service system improvement efforts. For example, he chaired Iowa’s Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, a statewide advocacy body composed of state officials, people with disabilities and their family members. Keith served on several local planning committees to provide insight about accessibility; his input was used in projects such as the Voxman Music Hall, the Cedar Rapids Kernels Stadium and renovations to the Englert Theater. Keith went on to co-host the disability-themed talk show “This is Us” on Public Access TV.

A lifelong goal of Keith’s was to author a book. He accomplished this in 2018 through his self-published memoir, Wheeling Through The Years. In it, Keith remarked, “Living in Iowa City has almost been like living in a magical world.” For 40 years, he lived in the same apartment building, just a few blocks from downtown and could be seen cruising around in his motorized wheelchair. He loved his community, including the Bread Garden, the Newman Center, and the Iowa City Public Library. He was an avid reader and a cat lover. Most of all, he made friends wherever he went. He had a passion for awareness and cautioned against ‘judging a book by the cover and not by opening the book’. He educated people wherever he went - from healthcare providers, teachers and community leaders to servers, college students living in his apartment building and curious kids he would see in the Pedestrian Mall on how to approach people with disabilities. “A person is a person, first and foremost, regardless of their abilities. People deserve compassion and respect and the ability to be their own decision-makers while living a life as independently as possible.” This was Keith’s passion, goal for others, as well as his personal mission that was able to be accomplished as he remained living independently until the time of his passing.

Keith is survived by many dear friends and by his beloved cat, Riley.

A memorial service will be held at the Newman Center in Iowa City on October 23, 2023 at 10:00am.

Online condolences and memories may be shared on Keith's Tribute Wall.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

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