Wanda Rose Pugh

It is our sad duty to announce the passing of our amazing mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Wanda Rose (Ruffner) Pugh. She died peacefully in her sleep in the early morning hours of October 6, 2022 in Carlsbad, California. She was 93 years old.

Wanda was born January 19, 1929 on a farm in Mason, Illinois to Theta and Ray Ruffner. It was always important to her to mention that she was born on a farm and not a hospital, although the farm was full of animals and she “didn’t like any of them!” During and after high school she escaped the farm life and eventually met and married Max Pugh in 1951. They soon after settled in Decatur, Illinois and started their family.

From the 1950s to the 1990s, Wanda was actively involved in the barbershop singing organization Sweet Adelines International. As an award-winning singing member in Illinois, Wanda subsequently founded a chorus and directed another after moving west to Arizona and eventually California. As Wanda’s children grew up and moved out of the house, she served as an administrative assistant for the Solana Beach (California) Chamber of Commerce. Over a span of at least two decades, she also did extensive volunteer work for Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, California and the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California. In her spare time, she was an avid bowler who routinely defeated her grandkids.

It was during her tenure as a volunteer to the above organizations that Wanda found her “true calling” as a joke teller. Friends and family will recall she always had jokes hidden in her purse and just about any other nook and cranny. Whether it was the first or tenth time a recipient heard one of those jokes, it always brought a smile to their (and her) face!

Wanda’s most important legacy is her love of family. All of her family members will treasure the love and affection she showed as “Mom” to her kids, “Grams” to her grandchildren and “GG” to her great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents Ray and Theta, Wanda is also preceded in death by her husband Max A. Pugh (August 29, 1991), sister Rhea Witt, brothers George (Ruth) and Robert Ruffner, and sister-in-law Pat Ruffner.

Surviving are her children Douglas Pugh (Mary Jayne); Angela Jameson (John); grandchildren Robert, Neil, Jeffrey, Katherine, and Lauren; great-grandchildren Daniella, Ryan, and Vivian; sister, Pamela (Jerry) Gilbert; brother Lawrence Ruffner (Jean); and sister-in-law Coral Ruffner.

Wanda will be missed immensely by her family and many other friends and church members.

Funeral/Memorial

The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Museum of Making Music, found at: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/

A private family memorial service will be held to coincide with Wanda’s 94th birthday in January 2023.