Peter Browne Ruffin

Peter Browne Ruffin was born on June 28, 1909, in Hillsborough, NC, and died peacefully March 12, 2004, at his home in Wilmington.
He was the son of Allen Jones Ruffin and Annie Gray Nash Ruffin. Upon his father's death, he and his mother moved to Tarboro and later his mother married James Laurence Sprunt and they moved to Wilmington.
He was predeceased by his wife, the former Virginia Bellamy, and his step-brother, James L. Sprunt Jr.
He is survived by his daughters, Suzanne Nash Ruffin and Virginia Ruffin Wetherill, and his son, Peter Browne Ruffin Jr., all of Wilmington and many grandchildren and great- grandchildren. He is also survived by his three half brothers, Kenneth Murchison Sprunt and Laurence Gray Sprunt, both of Wilmington, and Samuel Nash Sprunt of Houston, Texas.
He graduated from Woodberry Forest School in Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served in the United States Navy in World War II and attained the rank of Commander in the Office of Naval Intelligence.
His entire business career was spent in Wilmington serving as general manager of the Wilmington Terminal Warehouse Company and co-founder and president of the Wilmington Shipping Company. He served as Trustee of the Champion McDowell Davis Foundation and the Cornelia Nixon Davis Nursing Home. He served as senior warden of Saint James (Episcopal) Church and served in many positions in the (Episcopal) Diocese of East Carolina.
He was also a director and former chairman of the Wilmington branch of Wachovia Bank and Trust Co., served as a director of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co., and later the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad,a and as a director of Rocky Mount Mills.
He was a former president of the North Carolina World Trade Association.
Funeral services will be held Monday, March 15, 2004 at 11:00 a.m. at St. James Church. Burial will follow at Oakdale Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Peter Ruffin III, Christian Roth, Laurence Roth, Richard Wetherill III, David Sprunt, Kenneth Sprunt Jr., Pembroke Jenkins and Pembroke Nash.
Memorials may be made to St. James Church, 25 S. 3rd Street, Wilmington, NC 28401, or a charity of one's choice.