Sunday, April 10, 2011
It is with great and sincere sadness that I heard of the passing of Marie Ruff. The was a very special person, who was filled with warmth, who made you feel special whenever you were with her. She was a great and beautiful lady, with class, style and inner strength. Always ready to laugh, she had a serious side as well, always thinking and caring about the people she loved. Whenever we spoke, inevitably one (or both) of us would make some joke or funny comment about the Albanians. When she would call me at my office and leave a message wanting me to do some legal work for her, I would call her back as soon as I could. When she answered the phone, I would say something like "This is the senior vice president of the Albanian Legal Defense Fund. May I help you?" We would both bust out laughing. She had a great laugh. I can still hear it. She will be very dearly missed by all of us.