Joseph Thomas Ruff
LAKEWOOD - Joseph Ruff passed away peacefully on March 25, 2024, surrounded by family.
Joe was born on December 5, 1929 to Joseph and Lydia Ruff in New Brunswick, NJ. He studied at Rutgers College and then attended Georgetown University Dental School. While in dental school, Joe married the love of his life, Peggy; they resided in North Carolina while Joe completed his internship and residency at University of North Carolina and Duke University.
Upon completion of his professional education, Joe returned with Peggy to New Jersey and landed in beautiful Bay Head, where he practiced oral surgery for many years and was a member of the Bay Head Yacht Club. By this time, Joe and Peggy had built a lovely family with their six children: Maggie, Tom, Susan, Bill, Carol, and Joe - all of whom enjoyed life together in the warm sun and salt air of the Jersey Shore.
An avid sportsman, Joe loved being outdoors - whether casting a fly to stripers in the breaking surf or stalking mallards from a stealthy duck blind. He relished his hunting dogs, especially “Duke”, his favorite. Joe’s passion for angling and fowling also manifested in creative ways and over the years Joe developed a mastery of fly-tying and decoy carving.
After retiring his oral surgery practice, Joe’s indomitable spirit led him to the Catskills, where he and Peggy renovated a Victorian house into “The Timberdoodle Inn,” an elegant Sportsman’s Lodge. There Joe obtained his New York State Guide License, and operated a successful guide service for fly fishermen on the legendary trout streams in the Catskills.
After their time in NY, Joe and Peggy relocated to West Yarmouth, MA, fulfilling a long-term dream of living on The Cape. Joe acquired a circle of close friends and could be found sharing stories and laughs with his buddies at their weekly breakfast and sports club.
After Peggy passed away in 2014, Joe returned again to his home state of New Jersey. He resided in Lakewood, near the Jersey Shore, and lived in a cozy home replete with a fly-tying nook and a decoy-carving workbench. While in Lakewood he enjoyed frequent visits by his children and grandchildren, as well as drives to the ocean and lunch at Jersey Mike’s.
Joe is survived by his children Maggie (Al), Tom (Alison), Susan (Mike), Bill, and Carol (Phil); grandchildren Tim, David, Joseph, Rachel, Lara, Allie, Phillip, Erik, and Andrew; and great-grandson Gunnar.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:
Project Healing Waters at: https://projecthealingwaters.org/ways-to-give/ donate-now/