Joan Evelyn Ruffini

Joan E. Ruffini was born on November 17, 1930, in Houston, Texas, and went to heaven on December 15, 2024, to be reunited with her beloved husband, Charles Ruffini, and her daughter, Sandra.

Joan was raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where her parents, Venor-a mechanical engineer-and Dessie Gohlke, had been sent by American Gas Company to build the first gas pipeline from Monterrey to Roma, Texas. Joan felt deeply connected to Mexican culture and spent her life defending and protecting others, especially the underprivileged.

At the age of eight, Joan traveled to Mexico City to visit relatives and met Charlie, one of the four Ruffini brothers, and fell in love. Several years later, Charlie passed through Monterrey on his way to Germany with the US Army and Joan decided then and that she would marry him.

They married in 1955 and through Charlie's work with Sears Roebuck, lived in Mérida, Reynosa, Matamoros, and Chihuahua before settling in Mexico City. There, Charlie and his brothers Bill and Ronald built a successful automobile repair business, Ruffini S.A., which operated for over fifty years.

Joan and Charlie had four daughters-Sandra, Jeanie, Kathy, and Joanie-all of whom were educated in Mexico City. They were blessed with four grandchildren: Stephanie and William Hicks, and Julie and Stefan Piccone.

Joan devoted her life to her family. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker, preparing nutritious meals, chauffeuring her children, volunteering by reading to the blind, and bowling with a group of international women. Her home was always full of young people and pets, and many sought her out for comfort. She listened without judgment and offered kindness, warmth, and practical advice.

In 1985, due to Charlie's health, Joan and Charlie moved to San Antonio, Texas. She deeply missed her friends and daily life in Mexico-the butcher, the shoe repairperson, the strawberry vendor, and the merchant from Oaxaca who traveled to sell his beautiful woven textiles. In time, however, they reconnected with longtime friends in San Antonio and enjoyed hosting many dinner parties.

Joan endured profound loss with grace and resilience, including the death of her daughter Sandra in 1999, and later the loss of her husband, sister, and mother. Through out this she became a gifted watercolor artist, creating paintings of Mexican landscapes and architecture that now hang in her family's homes

Mom was warm, calm, and deeply caring. Her home was bright and welcoming, her meals delicious, and her heart always open. We love our mother and miss her dearly, but we can still hear her saying,

"Stay busy, honey, and enjoy every minute of your life, for it goes by too fast."