JAMES RUF

RUF--James Allen, Jr. On Friday afternoon, June 4, 2021, James Allen Ruf, Jr. passed away peacefully in Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. He had suffered a massive brain aneurysm the previous Wednesday morning and fallen into a deep coma from which he never emerged. Jim was highly respected and much loved in the several places he called home from Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he was born and raised and as a child exhibited signs of a deep intellect and gentle, loving nature, to New York City where he began his legal profession and, following a hiatus of 20 years of practicing law in Denver, Colorado, returned to the City to resume his legal practice in partnership with his wife Maureen. Jim is a graduate of Shaker Heights High School; Ohio Wesleyan, in Delaware, Ohio, where he earned a B.A. in economics; and Cornell Law School, in Ithaca, New York, where he was awarded a J.D. Along the way Jim collected a number of awards, including Meritorious Achievement in Economics (Ohio Wesleyan), the W.D.P. Carey Award for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing (Cornell Law School), and an A.V. Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell for achievement of the highest level of professional excellence in the practice of law and ethical standards. Jim was an excellent corporate securities lawyer but one who was loved as much for his humanity and sense of humor as for his knowledge and skill. Jim had a wonderful, disarming sense of humor that could cut through the most stressful of times and put all who worked for him at ease. Jim consistently supported and advanced women in the practice of law. There was no stronger advocate of Maureen than Jim. Jim spoke his mind and he spoke well. He was articulate, wise and principled, witty, so very down-to-earth, generous, romantic and sentimental. He was a voracious reader, who read widely. Jim had so many passions. He loved SAABs, watches, fountain pens, radios, and cats -- Horace, Figaro, Samantha and Abercrombie! Briggs and Duncan, too, his beloved dogs! Jim loved classical music, jazz and, maybe above all else, Bob Dylan! As a young man Jim loved sailing in Georgian Bay, in Canada, where his parents had a summer home, and as a little tike he loved visiting Sodus Bay, New York, wherein his grandparents' had a summer cottage and would take him for a sail on the bay. Much later in life, Jim traveled to China with Maureen and fell in love with all things Chinese. Together Jim and Maureen made two more trips to China, and each trip resulted in more fascination, joy and friendship. Jim so loved the Finger Lakes region of New York State and will be laid to rest in Gorham Cemetery, in the town of Gorham, among the favorite members of his Ruf family. Jim is survived by his wife Maureen, who was Jim's whole world.