B Winfred Ruffner

B W Ruffner age 93 passed away Dec, 27, 2005 subsequent to a short period of stay at the North Park Hospital in Hixson, Tn. Funeral services will be conducted at the Vanderwall Funeral Home on Thursday, Dec. 29th at 7:00 P.M. The family will receive visitors from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M.. A private ceremony for the deceased will be held for the family, graveside, on December 30th.

He was a native of Coalfield in Roane County, and was graduated from Harriman High School. Subsequent to his sojurn at the Univ. Of Tenn., he completed studies at LaSalle Institute, and in 1939 was granted certification as a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Tennessee.

Afterwards he was employed in the Finance Office of TVA in Knoxville, serving in various capacities. In August of 1940, Mr Ruffner was appointed as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Accounts, U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D. C.

Shortly after World War II began, his work began to undertake a highly secretive endeavor. He was selected by Col. Donovan of the Office of Strategic Service to become a member of that organization as the Secretary/Treasurer of the United States Commercial Corporation. This unit was charged with the objective of denying the Germans from obtaining chromium from the Iberian Peninsula. This was the only known source of that important element outside of South Africa.

Subsequent to the end of WWII, he was invited to remain with Intelligence, and to join the newly created CIA. However, he elected to enter the State Department where he served until his retirement. During this time he was the Comptroller of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Headquartered in Beirut. As a recognized expert in Near East Affairs, he continued to carry out a variety of assignments both at home and abroad. His last assignment in the Near East was Consul General to Malta. After a respite in Washington, his “twilight assignment” was Minister in the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa.

After his retirement from the State Department, and move to Dayton, he was asked to become the City Manager by the city council of Dayton while they considered a replacement for Clyde Roddy. His recommendation to the council regarding council-manager form of government has been a model which is still recognized as the best for Dayton.

Recognition for his multitude of achievements placed him in ‘Who’s Who in America’ and enumerated his successes during his career in Government.

Mr. Ruffner was a Mason, a member of the York Rite, and a member of the Al Hambra Shrine.
He was also an active member of the Rotary Club of Dayton, where he assumed many responsibilities, to include that of President. He was a Harris Fellow of Rotary. Locally, he was a member of the First Methodist Church of Dayton.

Survivors include two sons and a daughter, They are Dr. B W Ruffner, Jr. of Signal Mt., Tn., Hollis-Ann Clark of Fairfiled Glade, Tn., and James A. Ruffner of Charlottesville, Va.. He also had eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Honorary Pall Bearers are his Grandsons and husbands of his Granddaughters: Andrew Ruffner, Lee Clark, Scott Ruffner, Chris Giles and Will Stanford.

The family is being served by Vanderwall Funeral Home in Dayton.

Kindly share your memories with the family on their on-line guest book at www.vanderwallfh.com