[Ohio-Talk] The news we have been anticipating about Joe.

[Richard Payne]

Joe Ruffalo, who served us as president for 27 years, died quietly
early this morning following a multi-year battle with Metastatic
Bladder cancer related to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam
War. Joe had been in hospice care and passed away in the  Bloomfield
house where he grew up. Family members and friends were there to
comfort him.
Joe had shared his journey with us and we send  our condolences to
Joe's wife, Judy, and their sons Jim and Joey and their wives as well
as sister Jane Degenshein, also a  leader in our National Federation
of the Blind community and her husband Larry as well as other
relatives and friends.

Funeral arrangements are  being finalized and I  will share them when
complete. In the meantime, those who wish to honor Joe's memory may donate
to the NFBNJ, the organization he said changed his life and
which he shared fso generously with us for so many years.



Richard Payne,  President
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com> 
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.