Erastus "Rudy" Ruga

Erastus “Rudy” Ruga, 95, of Burlington, North Carolina, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on January 26, 2026.

Rudy was born on April 10, 1930 to Henry Alexander and Tomasa Benitez Ruga in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He was the last of eleven children and beloved by his older siblings.

The family immigrated to New York, settling in Brooklyn. Rudy remembered having the iceman deliver blocks of ice to their tenement. At home, the family spoke French with their Swiss-born father, Spanish with their Puerto Rican mother, and English among themselves. Henry, who was then legally blind, taught Rudy to read the Bible in both Spanish and French. As a result, the tri-lingual Rudy became adept at languages before even attending school. He skipped two grades, graduating Bushwick High School a little after his 16th birthday.

After high school, Rudy worked full time as a bookkeeper at various New York businesses, including Unanue & Sons, which would eventually become Goya Foods, and attended CCNY in the evenings. He loved basketball and was proud that CCNY was the only team to ever win the NCAA and NIT championships.

In 1950, Rudy enlisted in the Air Force and went to see the world. On the train to basic training in San Antonio, Texas, Rudy learned to play poker and experienced segregation for the first time. Rudy went through Officer Candidate School and Air Traffic Control School. Rudy was stationed in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, before getting his first international assignment in 1955—Keflavik, Iceland.

There, Rudy put his talent for language to work, learning Icelandic. He used it to communicate with Selma, an Icelandic woman he met. The two married in December 1956 and settled in Utah, where Rudy earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. Foreign postings to Panama and Paris, France followed.

After retiring from the Pentagon in 1970, Rudy returned to accounting, becoming a Certified Public Accountant, earning an M.B.A. from George Mason University, and starting his own business with partner Dick Ellis. He lived in Fairfax, Virginia for the next 50 years. Rudy enjoyed golfing, reading the Bible, bowling, cribbage, chess, watching sports, collecting stamps, excellent food, and wine.

Rudy loved his children, Tomas and Thorunn. He shared his love of classical music, food, and sports with them, coaching his son’s travel soccer team for ten years. Tomas got his love for travel and family from Rudy. He especially remembers driving to the Florida Keys and many trips to Iceland. Thorunn remembers eating Peking duck and singing songs from the 30’s and 40’s with him.

Rudy was also a devoted Afi (Icelandic for grandfather) to Alexandra and Beau. Alexandra’s favorite memories are of staying with her Amma and Afi during the summers. Even on the hottest days, Afi would handpick weeds outside. She would wait patiently for him to finish and come inside where they would sit and talk while he drank a nice, cold Budweiser and cooled off.

Rudy is survived by his son, Tomas, and dear daughter in law, Claudia, with whom he spent his last years in their loving company; his daughter, Thorunn, and son-in-law, Roger McCoy; his grandchildren, Alex Ruga and husband Nick DeRobertis, and Beau Ruga; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at Lowe Funeral Home Chapel, Burlington, NC at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 7, 2026, with visitation from 1:00-1:45 PM. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery will be announced in the future. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the American Cancer Society @ www.cancer.org/donate/hope.html.

The family would like to thank Rudy’s caregiver, Maria Conde, for the excellent care Rudy received in his last days.