Sandra Lynn Ruffin

SANDRA LYNN RUFFIN, AGE 69 OAK GROVE, LOUISIANA Cox Funeral Home Oak Grove, Louisiana Sandra Lynn House Ruffin, 69, died Tuesday, December 6, 2016 in Bossier City, Louisiana, following a brief illness. She is mourned by her husband, Marshall Ruffin; son, Chad Ruffin; daughter, Natalie Littlejohn; and son-in-law, Harry Littlejohn. She was "Meme" to her grandchildren Kalli Ruffin, Wyatt and Walker Littlejohn; "San" to her siblings Reba Lewis, Martha Wall and Gary House; and "Aunt San" to eight adoring nieces and nephews. She joins in repose her parents Dorothy and John House. Her spirit, laughter and love of family were forged by the privation of her early years. Her father was a casualty of the Second World War, and her mother moved from Sandra's birthplace in Delhi, Louisiana, to Shreveport, Louisiana, to enroll in technical school. Constant scarcity taught Sandra the necessity of family teamwork for survival. While spending summers at her aunts' in Oak Grove, she was known for helping with chores and loved to shell peas in the shade of hot Louisiana summers. She graduated from Bossier High School and furthered her love for education and children by majoring in education at Northeast Louisiana University. Her effervescence and infectious laugh endeared her with her peers, and she enjoyed playing matchmaker for her gal friends while cruising the square of 1960s Oak Grove. There at the Little Freezer hamburger joint, she began a forty-seven year romance with the son of a carpenter and farmer. Marshall and Sandra were wedded in 1969. She and Marshall joined with Shelton and Pat Ruffin to invest in Ruffin Pre-Fab Metal Buildings, the first of several successful business ventures. She loved to shop and "carry on" vivaciously with family and friends. Despite these rewards, she continued her deep Christian faith at the First Church of God where she taught Vacation Bible School and served on the Board of Directors. She was acutely sensitive to the plights of others and was known for assisting materially or by lending an ear and a laugh to all who needed it. In 1978, they were given a son, Chad, followed by a daughter, Natalie, in 1980. Her commitment to the success of her children knew no boundaries. Despite her humble background, she had a knack for discovering revolutionary and relatively unknown resources to connect her deaf son to the world around him. With the continued loving support of her and Marshall, Chad went on to become a surgeon who specializes in developing better treatments for hearing loss. Natalie was imbued with vivaciousness that greatly rivaled her mother's, providing an ample supply of gray hairs. Her gray hairs multiplied with grandmotherly age as she welcomed and doted on her grandchildren. In 1996, Sandra and Marshall began a long transition to their vacation home on Black Bayou Reservoir, Benton, Louisiana. Later, they eagerly and frequently made trips to visit Natalie's family, first in Kansas City, Missouri, and then in Houston, Texas. The grandchildren were a source of great delight and joy to Sandra. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the American Cochlear Implant Alliance and the National Association for Mental Illness.