Wayne Bernhardt Ruck

Wayne Bernhardt Ruck, 85, of Harrisonburg, VA died October 18, 2025, at his home surrounded by his loving family. Wayne was born on December 14, 1939, in St. Louis, MO, the only child of the late George Louis and Marie Bernhardt Ruck. He was raised on the family farm in Ballwin, MO, and attended a one-room school out in the country, where students from kindergarten to eighth grades were taught by the same teacher. He often joked about being valedictorian of his eighth-grade class of only three students. The only thing he loved more than school was playing baseball. He played baseball at Eureka High School for four years. He also played American Legion League baseball during and after high school and County League baseball for Chesterfield and Manchester. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals' fan, and his own claim to fame was being "struck out" three times by Satchel Paige on a barnstorming tour. Wayne graduated from Eureka High School in Eureka, MO in 1957, and was president of the student body that year. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1961, and an M.B.A. from the University of Missouri in 1966. He was a member of Theta Tau, professional engineering fraternity, Eta Kappa Nu, honorary electrical engineering fraternity, and Beta Gamma Sigma, honorary business fraternity. His social fraternity was Kappa Sigma, and he remained very active in supporting the fraternity throughout his life. He was elected to his chapter's Kappa Sigma Hall of Fame in 1997. Having completed ROTC, he served active duty in the Ordnance Corps of the United States Army from 1961 through 1963. Stationed in Korea, he served as Company Commander over 240 personnel. After several years in the reserves, Wayne received his honorable discharge as Captain in 1969. In 1966, Wayne married Joan Bruegging of Jefferson City, MO. Joan has remained steadfast by his side for 59 years throughout their business ventures, as well as a lifetime of adventures. She survives him along with their three daughters, Julie McKee and husband, Doug of Greeneville, TN, Kelly O'Donnell and husband, Leo of Harrisonburg, VA and Holly Hamilton and husband, Dave of Richmond, VA. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, Allison McKee Alexander, Austin McKee, Mark McKee, Conor O'Donnell, Aidan O'Donnell, Liam O'Donnell, Molly O'Donnell, Alexander Hamilton, Eva Hamilton and Andrew Hamilton, along with four great-grandchildren, Benjamin Alexander, Henry Alexander, Ada Alexander, and Matthew Alexander. Wayne began his professional career in Niles, MI as a Management Trainee for Kawneer Company. In 1969, he was transferred to Harrisonburg, VA as Plant Manager of a new plant. He was responsible for the start-up, staffing and management of the architectural aluminum extrusion facility. In 1971, Wayne co-founded Packaging Services, Inc. in Weyers Cave, VA, a corrugated-shipping-container manufacturing company. Over the next twenty-years the company expanded into three other states, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, and consisted of eight corrugated-related facilities. In 2000, he co-founded Interchange Company, a warehousing, logistics and real estate development company in Harrisonburg, along with his partners Jerry Morris and Devon Anders. Wayne served on the Board of Directors of Rockingham Heritage Bank from 1996 to 2007. He also served on the board of Premier Bank shares, the parent company, located in Winchester, VA during that period. He received the Entrepreneurial Award of Recognition from the University of Missouri in 1994, presented to him in St. Louis by the Honorable Governor of Missouri, Mel Carnahan. Along with his business partner, Jerry Morris, he received the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1988. He was a charter member of AICC, Association of Independent Corrugated Converters, which was founded in St. Louis in 1974, and now has hundreds of members throughout the United States and abroad. Wayne was a member and strong supporter of Spotswood Country Club, where he regularly enjoyed golf with his friends for many years. He could often be found there playing piano and encouraging others to sing along with him. His talent for music dated back to his early childhood, and he played and sang in piano bars during the 1960's to help support his college education. He was also a member of The Water's Edge Country Club at Smith Mountain Lake, where he enjoyed entertaining the grandchildren at the lake house. World travel was a top priority all his life, and in later years he especially enjoyed taking the whole family, the "party of 18" as he called them, on several memorable adventures. Wayne also had a private pilot's license for a number of years and was co-owner of a Cessna 182 which he enjoyed flying during that period. Finally, Wayne was a skilled sailor and took pleasure in captaining sailboats on trips with family and friends. Throughout his life, Wayne's primary focus and dedication was always his family. He will be profoundly missed by many. A private service for the family will be held at a later date.