Frank Lee Ruggles

1966 - 2021

RUGGLES, Frank Lee, It is with much sadness and regret the passing of Frank Lee Ruggles on July 4, 2021, at his beloved ranch in the Shenandoah Mountains. He was a true legend in the landscape photography field; Frank was a shining light to so many he met and worked with.

Frank was a prominent photographer, known around the world. Frank worked many years with the national parks and many other remarkable artistic accomplishments shared his immense talent. Frank came from a long line of those that served our nation. His mother served in the Army during Vietnam and his father during WWII. Frank proudly enlisted to serve our nation as an infantryman as part of the Army 82nd Airborne Division and went on to become a paratrooper and part of the famed 505th Parachute Infantry Division.

Frank's drive for service to our nation continued after leaving the Army; he went on to serve in many roles as a Contractor for many federal agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Commerce and Treasury and was even the exclusive photo printer for Secretary of State, Powell. In 2007, Frank finally got the call he had waited for and he set off on a 100,000-mile journey through all 50 U.S. States to capture America's national treasures through his lens as a Federal Photographer, a position he held through 2010.

Frank continued to serve as the National Artist Ambassador for the National Park Trust; he lectured and taught around the country and is the author of "Chasing Light, An Exploration of the American Landscape."

Along with these career highlights, Frank went on to use his artistic talents to become the Artist Ambassador for the National Park Trust, using his passion for the environment and skills to capture the majesty of the national parks through his lens to share with the world and educate children that we must protect our natural resources for generations to come.

His latest passion project for the last three years was the 79 Years Project. This project consisted of modern day re-shooting Ansel Adams 1941 Photo Murals project, shot-for-shot same days and locations with the same equipment, to show what has changed in the lifespan of the average American. Frank had spent the last several years and tens of thousands of miles researching and traveling to find each location of the original images and re-shoot them. Frank thrived on his mission to find these places his mentor shot and to bring the world his vision of this project.

He genuinely enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge of photography and his travels with all those that he met or found him, the trails of so many national parks, doing what he absolutely loved. It was not uncommon when he met someone; they could spend hours talking to him and enjoying his larger-than-life persona and inviting smile and able to talk to all ages and diverse backgrounds, easily connected with Frank and just listened in awe, then became fast friends and fans of his work.

His keen eye for capturing the beauty and details of our national parks and wildlife, from coast to coast and tens of thousands of miles he traveled to share his vision with us, will live on in his images that we all enjoyed.

Frank's true love of his life was his wife of 25 years, Lisa Crow Ruggles, who was his partner in adventure and best friend, with their shared love of the outdoors and living life to its fullest. They loved sharing time at their ranch together and exploring the valley and trails surrounding the ranch. And of course, no one can forget their furry shadow, Stanley and their fun-loving, goofy, gentle giant and supervisor of ranch life.

Frank was a true steward of the national parks and our environment. His immense talent and larger-than-life persona will be missed by all that were lucky enough to know him and view his work.

Rest easy Frank, you will be greatly missed by all, and keep chasing the light and shine upon us all and this nation's national parks you will forever be part of helping to preserve them for all. You were a gentle giant and legendary artist. We are all better off knowing you and seeing the breathtaking imagery you shared with us all.

He is survived by wife, Lisa; the many friends and loved ones whose lives he touched each day through his iconic photography; and Stanley, his Great Dane.

A memorial service will be held July 9, Friday, at 2 p.m. at the Virginia War Memorial, 621 S. Belvidere St., Richmond, Va. 23220.