RUOFF, Rev. Louis “Lou” William, 75, a retired priest of the Richmond Catholic Diocese and resident of St. Mary’s Woods Retirement Community, Henrico, Virginia, died unexpectedly on Monday, July 26, 2021, while recovering from recent heart surgery recovered. “Father Lou,” as he was often called, was born on January 31, 1946 in his beloved “City of Brotherly Love” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Orphaned as a child and raised in a Catholic orphanage, he became part of the loving family of George and Anna Ruoff. After a bit of bumpy adolescence and young adults in schools, factories, and on the street corners of Philly, he began “getting his act together” at Shippensburg State College, Pennsylvania. Father Lou saw a calling to serve in the priesthood. He initially joined a religious community but eventually joined the Diocese of Richmond in 1980, inspired by the progressive leadership of Bishop Walter Sullivan. He then attended St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he received the M.Div. Degree. He was ordained a priest on May 12, 1984 by Bishop Sullivan. For the next 32 years, Father Lou served as the assistant pastor, administrator or pastor of 12 parishes in the diocese. At the age of 70, after his last service (10 years) at St. Ann Church in Colonial Heights, he retired from active service in 2016. Father Lou, a tough, tenacious, and affectionate man, will be remembered for his very generous spirit, love for the poor and an intense commitment to redeeming the world from war and injustice. He loved teaching and preaching, writing and publishing; feverishly over the newspapers and the daily news, Father Lou challenged the news of violence, fraud and corruption daily with the “good news” of the gospel of integrity, honesty and reconciliation. Whether with Christ’s bread at the altar or around the table in parishioners’ homes with pies (Philly style pizza) or hoagies, or bringing his parishioners or friends to lunch, Father Lou loved and generously shared Holy Communion beloved community (s) he has been ordained to serve. Surely he was welcomed home in God’s heart on July 26th with the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord!” A Christian funeral mass will be held on Thursday, August 5 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 9505 Gayton Rd., Richmond, Virginia 23229. The visitation begins at 6 p.m. There will be a reception after the fair. To attend the fair, a live stream is available at stmarysrichmond.org. Instead of flowers, Father Lou asked that all memorial donations be directed to the Department of Human Affairs at St. Mary Church. He is later buried next to his parents in Roslyn, Pennsylvania.
Published by the Richmond Times-Dispatch on August 1, 2021.