Obituary of Dennis Arthur Ruby

Dennis Arthur Ruby passed away in his sleep on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024. He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Margit, his two children, Keven and Jennifer, seven grandchildren, his niece Shannon and nephew Justin, and his brother Ken. He was predeceased by his parents and his sisters Sandy and Marilyn. He was 80 years old.

Dennis was born in Floral Park, New York, in 1943 to Vera and Frank Ruby. After graduating from John Bapst High School in Bangor, Maine, Dennis joined the US Air Force in 1962. He served 30 years, first as an airborne radio operator and later in air traffic control in a career that took him all over Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, including a harrowing tour in Southeast Asia in 1968. His favorite posting was as Deputy Chief Controller of the Berlin Air Route Traffic Control Center from 1984 to 1988. His last posting was as Chief of Air Traffic Control Operations at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, where he retired as a Chief Master Sargeant in 1992.

He met and married Margit, the love of his life, while stationed in Germany in 1965. Except for that tour in Southeast Asia, they were inseparable. Together they raised their two children, mostly in Germany because Dennis really liked it there.

In 1994, Dennis moved back to Germany with Margit to care for her elderly parents, fulfilling a promise he made to her nearly 30 years prior when they married.  On this tour he started a second career at Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), first in retail and then helping to run a post office. As a 30-year Air Force veteran, he always seemed to relish being the most experienced person in the civilian workplace. 

Dennis (with Margit) moved back to Myrtle Beach in 2004 and retired for good, shifting his focus to his children and grandchildren and enjoying time with his friends.  In 2022, Dennis and Margit moved to Lakeview in Columbia, SC, where Dennis made new friends and enjoyed his last years on what he proudly described as “a cruise ship, only it doesn’t go anywhere.” 

Dennis was a loving and devoted husband, father, Opa, and brother, a caring friend, and, it is fair to say, a pretty funny guy.  He will be sorely missed. 

There will be a celebration of Dennis’s life on Saturday, April 6, from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. Please contact Keven Ruby if you would like to attend.