Former state senator Frank Ruff of Mecklenburg County dies

The governor’s office announced that former state Sen. Frank Ruff, R-Mecklenburg County, has died.

Ruff, 75, won re-election last year but resigned in December, citing health problems. He was diagnosed in October 2023 and underwent surgery in November, but then learned that the cancer had spread and determined that rehabilitation would not allow him to continue serving in the Legislature.

His resignation prompted a January special election that elected his former aide, Tammy Mulchi, to replace him.

Ruff earned tribute from both sides of the aisle. “As a legislator, he was quiet and unassuming, but effective,” said state Sen. Creigh Deeds, R-Charlottesville. “He was a friend.”

“His passing is a great loss not only to his family and friends, but to the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham County. “Frank led with a calm, intelligent dignity that earned him the respect of everyone he worked with, regardless of political affiliation.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Ruff’s “legacy will be felt throughout the Commonwealth not for years, but for generations to come.” . . “Frank’s decades of service to the people of Virginia – beginning in the General Assembly in 1993, previously on the Mecklenburg Board of Supervisors, and finally as a citizen and chairman of the Regional Tobacco Revitalization Commission – may be matched by few, but has inspired many.”

His successor in the Senate, Mulchi, said: “My personal loss is indescribable in the death of one of the most honorable men I have ever known. Senator Frank Ruff was not only a former employer to me, but also a lifelong friend, mentor and father. While he left behind a legacy of success in southern Virginia and across the state like few have ever done, his greatest achievements were always those of his incredible wife, children and grandchildren. “His service and commitment to positive change in rural Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia will continue for generations to come.”

At the time of his resignation, Ruff was to be the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee writing the budget. Ruff was best known for his work promoting economic development in rural Virginia.

“The workforce training programs we have implemented in our region are and will continue to create good-paying jobs, enabling the next generation to live, build careers and raise families here,” he said in a statement at the time.

Ruff served on the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission – the so-called Tobacco Commission, which is dedicated to building a new economy in former tobacco-growing areas – since its inception, and was chairman of the panel after his death.

He also chaired the Center for Rural Virginia, a state-created nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting economic growth in rural areas. Last year, the legislature changed the group’s name to the Frank M. Ruff Jr. Center for Rural Development. in Virginia.

A statement from the Senate official said no funeral arrangements have been announced. Those sending cards may mail them to the family home at 237 Old Rock Road, Clarksville, VA 23927.

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