H. Carolyn Ruffles

Hilda Carolyn Ruffles, of Danbury, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on December 11, 2025, at the age of 86, with her family by her side, at the Regional Hospice Center of Danbury. Born on February 15th 1939, Carolyn was the cherished daughter of the late Kenneth Hawley and Ellen Valine.

For 51 years, Carolyn shared her life with her beloved husband, Richard B. Ruffles. Having known each other their entire lives, they were married in 1974 and together they built a log cabin home and surrounded themselves with many different animals over the years, both 2 legged and 4 legged, that brought them a lot of joy. She loved her home.

Carolyn was a lifelong member of the King Street United Church of Christ, for which she had immeasurable pride and joy. She was also a lifelong educator, having graduated from Danbury Teachers College, or what we now call WestConn. Carolyn taught in different towns in Connecticut and Ohio before settling in, teaching for many years at King Street as a beloved ESL teacher. She had a memory like no other, and was an incredible story teller. She loved her UCONN Women’s basketball team and going out for breakfast, lunch & dinner with her friends, but above all else, she loved spending time with her grandchildren and attending as many of their activities as possible.

She is survived by her loving husband Richard, her children Andrew & Matthew, her daughter in law Lisa, and her grandchildren whom she loved so much: Samantha, Jack, Renee, Deacon & Trey.

A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, January 24, 2026 King Street United Church of Christ, 201 South King Street, Danbury, CT 06811.