Former Virginia Senator Frank Ruff passes away

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Former Virginia Senator Frank Ruff passed away Saturday after decades of service in the Commonwealth.

Ruff was a member of the Mecklenburg Board of Supervisors before being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1993.

Years later, he served as a Senator representing areas of southern Virginia for more than two decades.

Ruff retired at the end of 2023 due to health concerns.

Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a statement:

“Virginia has lost a legend of public service whose legacy will be felt across the Commonwealth not for years—but generations to come. Senator Frank Ruff has always believed that his public service was about finding good policy solutions to improve the lives of Virginians in rural communities.

“Frank’s decades of service to the people of Virginia—spanning the General Assembly since 1993, the Mecklenburg Board of Supervisors before that, and finally as a citizen member and chairman of the Tobacco Regional Revitalization Commission—are matched by few but have inspired many.

“This year, I had the profound honor of signing unanimously approved legislation to rename the Rural Center, which he founded, in his honor.

“Suzanne and I ask all Virginians to join us in keeping his wife Jessie, their children, grandchildren, and all of his family and friends in our heartfelt prayers.”

Copyright 2024 WWBT. All rights reserved.