Longtime food bank volunteer fondly remembered

Fondly remembered for his many years of volunteerism and “giving back” at the Green Valley Community Food Bank, when Ken Ruppe passed away on Oct. 11, at age 90, he left a meaningful legacy of caring, compassion and dedication.

Ruppe, along with his wife of 67 years, Mary, were volunteers at the Food Bank from 1982 until health caused them to slow down. But that didn’t stop the couple from giving.

Son Steve Ruppe said there’s a giant lemon tree and two orange trees on his parents’ modest lot in Green Valley. Executive director of the Food Bank Mary Jane Goodrick said in 2009, the Ruppes donated 428 pounds of citrus.

“My parents traveled the U.S. looking for the right place to retire and decided on Green Valley,” Steve said. “They looked at all the organizations that were here and picked the Food Bank to give back to.”

“Dad felt people in Green Valley should give back... Retirement wasn’t a time for my parents to sit around.”

“For my dad, giving back was an expression of faith in action. He felt very blessed. He wanted to use his God-given talents and once said, ‘I have a limited amount of treasure but I have an unlimited amount of time.’”

Carolyn Schmidt, Food Bank manager from 1990-98, remembers the Ruppes well.

“He was a hard-working volunteer,” she said. “No one made the shelves neater. Ken would go anywhere for us... Tucson, Arivaca, wherever.”

“He and Mary were so willing to do anything... I could rely on them for anything.”

Karen Morales, Food Bank manager from 1998-05, and now executive director at the White Elephant, also remembers Ken Ruppe fondly.

“For many years Ken and Mary would pick up food in Tucson and bring it down to the Food Bank in their own vehicle,” she said. “There was a time when the Food Bank didn’t have a vehicle so they used their own.”

Postmaster of the Green Valley Post Office Sandi Rios reaffirmed the Ruppes’ dedication.

“They were there for the first Letter Carrier’s Food Drive and many after that. Ken was a great guy; he’d do anything.”

Joking about his dad, Steve said as a former lead engineer for Boeing his dad had lists for everything.

Even as end of life approached, he had everything enumerated... what to do, who to call, how much this or that would cost. He had a full, end-of-life plan all laid out for his wife and family.

Until the end, Ken Ruppe wanted to make things easier and better for others.

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.