Virgil Hans Ruff age 88 of 424 N. Wheeler Ave. Prosperity died Friday December 19 2003 at White Oak ManorMr. Ruff was born on January 21 1915 in Prosperity a son of the late William Foster and Mary Elizabeth Stockman Ruff. He was the last surviving member of his family.Mr. Ruff was a graduate of Prosperity High School Class of 1933 and a graduate of Newberry College Class of 1937. He taught school in the upstate and also the lower state.In 1942 he volunteered for service in the Navy during WWII. From Columbia he was sent to Annapolis for Officers Training. From there he continued his officers training at the University of Illinois at Champlaine Urbana.From there he was sent to a port in Texas. He and other Lieutenant officers went to England on a LCI by way of Bermuda. He was then in the Atlantic Theater under Admiral Sabin. He and two other officers transported soldiers to the Mediterranean area – North Africa Sicily Borneo and Italy. While his ship was docked at Italy another LCI docked next to their ship was torpedoed. After he served in the Mediterranean area he was given leave for two weeks then left from San Francisco on a LST and served in the Pacific Theater on various islands. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in December of 1945. At this time he married Martha Staley. They had one son William Joseph Ruff who resides in Indianapolis IN. He taught at Brookland-Cayce School in Lexington County and worked for the Veterans Administration.He lived in Illinois for 35 years. While there he served as Post Master at Modesto IL. until his retirement in 1981. In 1968 he married Willie Floyd Ruff widow of his youngest brother Julian Ruff who died in 1964.Upon his retirement he and his wife moved back to South Carolina in a home in Prosperity. While there he served on the Governor's Committee to help the needy and for persons who needed disability because of their work. He was a member of the Civitan Club the Retired Teachers Association Wightman United Methodist Church where he served on the financial committee taught in the Frances Asbury Adult Class and in the Older Adult Class. Also he served as church school and church treasurer and teacher at the Modesto United Methodist Church in Modesto IL. . He has lived through many illnesses since 1994 always courageously trying hard to overcome each of them and be able to walk with his walker. He was predeceased by his siblings Julian Duane Ruff Marvin Ruff Bertha Ruff Harold Ruff Geraldine Ruff Myrtle Ruff Raymond Ruff and Isadore Ruff.Mr. Ruff is survived by his wife Willie Floyd Ruff of the home and his son William Joseph Ruff of Indianapolis IN Funeral services for Virgil Hans Ruff will be conducted at 3:00 P. M. Sunday at Wightman United Methodist Church by the Rev. Eddie Taylor. Interment will be at Newberry Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to Wightman United Methodist Church Building Fund PO Box 376 Prosperity SC 29127.Active pallbearers will be Glenn Hamm Raymond Ruff Harold Ruff Jake Amick John Reuben FloydJr. Gaston Floyd Yancy Floyd Lloyd Cousins and Floyd Cousins.Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Wightman United Methodist Women and the Wightman Adult Sunday School Classes who faithfully brought VCR tapes to our home weekly to keep us up with church news and to allow us to worship with our church family from home. Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.Whitaker Funeral Home 1704 College Street Newberry SC is assisting the family.