Former Virginia Senator Frank Ruff has died

On November 2, 2024By Littum

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Former Virginia Senator Frank Ruff died Saturday after decades of service to 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 issues.

Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a statement:

“Virginia has lost a legend of public service whose legacy will be felt throughout the Commonwealth not for years – but for 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 areas.

“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 Development Center, which he founded, in his honor.

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