Dominick L. Ruffatto 88
Dominick L. Ruffatto, 88, a longtime Whitefish resident, passed away Sunday, April 15, 2007, at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease. Dominick was born to Lawrence and Alice Ruffatto in Tacoma, Wash., on Sept. 2, 1918, where his father was stationed at Camp Lewis, Wash.
The family moved to Butte, where Dominick grew up. He was very active in baseball and belonged to the McQueen Athletic Club. He was normally a second baseman.
He married Verna Koski in September 1941 in Butte. World War II was declared, and the couple moved shortly thereafter to Seattle. Dom worked for Tidewater Oil Company and Verna worked in the blueprint department at Boeing Aircraft. In 1942, Dom enlisted in the U.S. Army at Camp Lewis and was stationed at the Chico Army Air Force Base in Chico, Calif. Verna learned to drive by driving the car from Seattle to Chico. Dominick was sent to the South Pacific and was in the battles and campaigns at New Guinea and Biak Island. He was discharged in 1945.
He went to school on the G.I. Bill and received his Bachelor of Science degree from the Normal College in Dillon and later a Master of Education degree at Oregon State College in 1954.
He became a school administrator at Wemme School in Mount Hood, Ore., for five years, then Oak Grove, Ore., for five years before moving to Fremont, Calif., with sons, Christopher and Michael. He was a school administrator for another 21 years. While in Fremont he belonged to many civic organizations and the Principals Organization. He retired in 1980 and moved to 14 acres on the Bitterroot River.
Then in 1993, he came to Whitefish to be near their son, Christopher Ruffatto, and wife, Susan, and their children, Ben, Brian and Kelly. Their other son, Michael Ruffatto, lives in Missoula.
Dominick loved music and was in many music recitals and memorial services. He also sang in two Gilbert and Sullivan operas, "Trial by Jury" and "The Gondoliers." He played the part of Henry Plummer, who was sheriff of Virginia City and also head of the outlaws, who killed at least 100 miners for their gold. All the outlaws were hung and rest on Boot Hill in Virginia City.
He was active in baseball, golf, skiing, dancing and traveling.
He loved people. While living in the Bitterroot he sang at many retirement and nursing homes, from Missoula to Hamilton. He was also a part of the choir at St. Charles in Whitefish. He was a marshal at the Whitefish golf course for many years. If no one was close on the course he was known to break into song. His family will miss dearly his love, humor, and at any time a song from his heart. Dom's family was precious to him. "He will be singing with angels and will once again remember the words."
He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Katherine Ruffatto; father and mother, Lawrence and Hilda Ruffatto; his birth mother, Alice Ungherine; brother, Bruno Cello; a sister, Eleanor Ruffatto; aunt and uncle, Clara and Frank Ruffatto, of the Bitterroot Valley; and by numerous other family members.
Survivors include his wife, Verna, of 66 years of Whitefish; sons, Christopher and ex-wife, Susan, and their children, Ben, Brian and Kelly, of Whitefish, and Michael Ruffatto of Missoula; sisters, Thelma Hollingsworth of Columbia Falls, Joyce Chouinard of Bozeman and Evelyn Wilcox of Nanimo, British Columbia; loving traveling companions, brother-in-law and his wife, Walfred and Elsa Koski, of Grants Pass, Ore.; a nephew, Ray Koski, of Livermore, Calif., who lived with them for many years; his Army buddy, Bill Treglown, of Helena; as well many other family and friends in the United States and Finland.
Memorial services will be at St. Charles Catholic Church in Whitefish, announced at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish.