Erwin King Ruggles Sr.

Erwin King Ruggles, Sr., of Dallas, TX, passed from this life peacefully on Friday, April 15, 2016, he was 91. Erwin was born on September 5, 1924 to Harold Ruggles and Jessie (Grant) Ruggles in Hingham, MA. He graduated from Hingham High School in 1942 and joined the United States Army Air Corps serving during WW II, as a pilot. During the Korean Conflict the was attached to the 187th Regimental Combat Team “Flying Boxcars” with 403rd Troop Carrier Wing for the United States Air Force. He married Helen Louise Tucker on May 5, 1945 in Liberal, Kansas, and had one son Erwin King Ruggles, Jr., who was born on January 16, 1958. After his military service he became a Commercial Pilot with Trans Texas and Continental Airlines. Erwin and his family were longtime Oak Cliff residents and was a longtime member of the Irwindell Methodist Church.

Erwin Sr. held a lifelong love of aviation. He could build anything and was able to repair anything and was always ready with a joke and a helping hand. He loved his ‘bride’ Helen, his son and daughter-in-law, and was a doting and involved grandfather to his two grandsons. Much of his time in later years was spent at his East Texas tree farm or working on his houseboat, that he built. “He never met a stranger.”

Erwin is survived by a brother David Ruggles of Walpole, MA, a sister, Janet Meller of River Edge, NJ, and a daughter-in-law Ann Ruggles, and two grandsons, Brian Ruggles and Austin Ruggles, and too many friends to count. Erwin was preceded in death by his wife Helen Ruggles and one son, Erwin Ruggles , Jr.