Mary Elaine Fitch Ruckman

Mary was born March 22, 1925, and died Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at the Butterfly Wing of Hospice of Baton Rouge. She was the youngest of seven children born to Vaughn K. and Mary Louise Lavigne Fitch. She met and married Arthur John Ruckman while he was stationed at Harding Field. During the war, she worked as a photography assistant. After Art returned from the war, they moved to his hometown of Denver, where they lived for three years. After they returned to Baton Rouge, Mary became a full-time mom. Mama loved family reunions, barbecues and a good game of canasta. Mama was an outdoors person who spent as much time as possible working in her flower and vegetable gardens; she loved trying new varieties of vegetables. Mama was also an avid fisherwoman who always caught her supper. One of her favorite places was Grand Isle, where our family enjoyed many holidays and reunions. She taught her children and grandchildren how to fish and crab and catch crawfish. Mama had a very strong faith in God and always trusted Him in all things. It was this faith in God that saw her through several illnesses in the last years of her life. After her children were in school and she was able to go to work, she taught preschoolers, who she said were her favorite people, at Highland Road BREC Center. Mama loved her family and was never happier than when we could all be together. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother and great-grandmother who taught all of us to be independent and to take responsibility for our actions. Mama and Daddy had more than 54 years together before Daddy died in 1997. Mama is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Anna Lee "Ann" and Lawrence George Jr., of Baton Rouge, and Carol Ruckman, of Nashville, Tenn.; five sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Judy, of Oklahoma City; Art and Marcia, of Wenatchee, Wash.; and Steve and Debbie, Jim and Suzanne and David and Andrea, who all live in Baton Rouge. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Walt Ruckman, of Denver. She was preceded in death by her husband, Art Ruckman; parents; and six siblings, sisters, Eleanor "Nell" Folmar, Adista Gore and Carrie Marchiafava, and brothers, Charles, Edward and Thomas Fitch. She also leaves numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., on Thursday, April 7, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visitation at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, 2250 Main St., Friday, April 8, from 9 a.m. until 9:40 a.m. A eulogy will be given at 9:45 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Interment in Roselawn Memorial Park. We would like to thank her nieces, Arlene, Kathleen, Sharon and Dolores for all their kindness and thoughtfulness throughout her life. Special thanks to the wonderful staff of the Butterfly Wing of Hospice of Baton Rouge and Dr. Robert Moukarzel, Dr. William Hubbard, Dr. Robert Craig and Dr. Jay Brooks. Their kindness to our mother will always be remembered. In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts to St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy or Hospice of Baton Rouge.