John Ruggiero

1952 - 2025

John Ruggiero
John Ruggiero, 73, of East Haven, CT and Port St. Lucie, FL, beloved husband of Catherine Ruggiero, passed away peacefully at home on November 25, 2025, surrounded by his family. Loving father of Rayn (Walter Alger) Ruggiero, Rebecca Ruggiero, and Christopher (Mindy) Ruggiero. "Pop" of Christopher Ruggiero, Jordan Ruggiero, Samantha Ruggiero, John "Jack" Ruggiero, Lily Ruggiero, and Walter Benjamin Ruggiero. Brother of Patricia Scanlon, Leslie (Mark) Wilcox, and Paul (Kathy) Ruggiero. Brother-in-law of Richard (Nancy) Mangino, and Marion (Doug) Barnes. John is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, John Ruggiero, and brother-in-Law, Raymond "Bud" Scanlon.
John was born in New Haven, CT on May 16, 1952, son of the late Albert "Smokey" and Heather Ross Ruggiero. Prior to his retirement, John took great pride in his long tenure as a Master Gardener at Yale University. He found peace in the calm that came from being outdoors whether he was at the lake or walking down familiar sidewalks. John's lifelong love of music was his way of connecting with those around him, his loved ones, and himself. He found joy in every note he played, whether he was performing for a room full of people or strumming quietly alone. His music was the soundtrack of our lives and for that we are forever grateful. In keeping with John's wishes, no service will be held. His family remains immensely grateful to his entire care team at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Treasure Coast Hospice, who handled his transition period with kindness, compassion, and dignity. In lieu of flowers, contributions in John's memory may be made to Treasure Coast Hospice at https://www.treasurehealth.org/292/Donate Or American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at https://supporting.afsp.org/general-donations/donate or plant a tree in his memory at www.plantmemorialtree.com.handled