Obituary of Paul T. Ruda

Paul T. Ruda, Jr. (87) went to be with God, January 22, 2022. He has been reunited in Heaven with his wife, the late Beverly Ruda and his parents Paul T. Ruda, Sr. and Mary Ruda of Chambersburg, PA. He is deeply missed by his sister, Frances McDermott of Chambersburg, and his brother, Patrick Ruda of Greencastle. As a young man he was very involved with the Corpus Christi church in Chambersburg, youth sports and Boy Scouts—earning his Eagle badge and making a lifelong commitment to scouting. Paul graduated from West Chester State and then completed his Master's of Education while in the US Army, stationed in California. He was a beloved American History/Civics teacher and coach of multiple sports at Welsh Valley Middle School (Narberth, PA) for over 35 years and a Recreation Director with the Lower Merion Parks program. He was a scout leader and community volunteer in Folcroft, PA and later, Lansdowne, Pa, where he has resided for the last 50 years. Paul was a dedicated athlete—competing into his 80th year in the Pennsylvania Senior Games. Paul enthusiastically donated his time and resources to serve both church and civic organizations. He believed in showing kindness to all people, caring for the environment, and investing in the development of the next generation of world-changers. Paul's legacy is evident in the lives of those he mentored, challenged, and guided to great athletic and academic accomplishments. Paul brought his knowledge of US History to his students with a characteristic brand of humor, referring to himself as a "bald eagle," or dressing up in costumes to act out historic events in the classroom. He loved to sing, laugh and enjoy each day as a new opportunity to make the world a little better. Those who have cherished him most are his family. A loving and highly engaged father of 6 children (David, Debbie, Chris, Paul, Beth, and Aimée), proud grandfather of 7 (Melissa, Ashley, Kaitlyn, Mike, Keagan, Henry, and Ella), and great-grandfather to 3 (Jackson, Olivia, and Harris). Paul will be missed by all who loved him, but he will never leave our hearts. His spirit lives on through every life he helped to shape for the better. We hope and seek to follow his great example of a life well lived. Join us in celebrating Paul's life on Monday, February 7th at Aldan Union Church in Aldan, PA. Visitation is from 9:00-10:00, service is 10:00-11:00, followed by a light reception. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Aldan Union Church or a charity of your choosing.