Ed Ruckman

6/10/1939 — 4/30/2014

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Ed was born June 10, 1939, to Richard S. Ruckman and Zona Hill Ruckman at his maternal grandparents' home near Lookout/Gifford. He was the middle child of three siblings. Ed passed away Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, with his family by his side.

Ed graduated from Reubens High School in 1957 and completed a two-year welding course at Spokane Community college. Ed also served in the Idaho National Guard.

R. Edward Ruckman and Joe Ann Low were married July 13, 1963, at the Congregational Church in Priest River, Idaho.

Ed grew up and farmed in the Reubens area. In 1961, Ed became a partner in the Ruckman Ranch with his dad, Dick, and later with his brother, Tom. They produced hogs and dryland farmed clover and other grains.

In the 1970s, Ed designed and built air-conditioned combine cabs. After the Ruckman Ranch bought its first air-conditioned cab, Ed thought "I can do that," and then built two more for the family farm.

In 1987, he opened Ed's Radiator Shop in North Lewiston. His shop was known as "the best place in town to take a leak." In 1988, Ed and Joe Ann moved to Lewiston.

Ed loved working with machinery and repairing all kinds of equipment. He derived great satisfaction from helping people save money when they needed a little extra help with their repairs. His daughter, Kim, often said, "if Dad can't fix it, it can't be fixed!" This applied to the little blue pickup truck that all the grandchildren learned to drive, and Ed kept running as it rotated from one grandchild to the next. They all have special memories of the little blue pickup!

Ed was also known as "Pops" to his children's friends, and "Papa" to his grandchildren. His oldest grandchild, Marc, started calling him Papa because that's all he could pronounce when he was little. The name stuck, and he was then Papa to his numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Ed did not know a stranger. It was quite an experience to go out to lunch or someplace with him in the valley. He knew a lot of people through his work and his volunteer service with the Elks Lodge and Idaho Swine Producers Association. Wherever you went with him, there was always someone who would come up and greet him. Ed could always see the funny side of things and had a ready laugh/twinkle in his eyes when he was visiting with friends and family.

Ed was president of the Idaho Swine Producers Association in 1972. He was named Idaho's Pork All-American for his swine production and community leadership in 1976. Ed served as a director of the Twin River Swine Association of the Lewiston-Clarkston area. He was a member of the state organization until he stopped farming in the early 1980s. Ed was a 50-year member of the Elks Lodge.

After some challenging health issues, Ed retired in 2006. In retirement, he shared Joe Ann's love for baseball, football and basketball, and in particular, the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks and Gonzaga Bulldog teams. This was a carryover from many years of attending his children's and grandchildren's sporting events. He was present at all of their games.

Always upbeat, Ed took on life's challenges with grace. When he had to give up his woodworking equipment due to eyesight problems, he told his family that it just meant he was moving on to a new phase in his life. It wasn't anything to get upset about.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Richard S. and Zona Hill Ruckman; and his daughter, Kerry Jo Ruckman Franklin, who passed away six weeks ago.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Joe Ann; his daughter, Kim Renee Ruckman Chapman and her husband Bryan of Dayton; his daughter, Constance Ann Ruckman Camden and her husband Jeff of Lewiston; his son-in-law, James Franklin of Post Falls, Idaho; his sister, Charlotte Ruckman Misner and her husband Art of Walnut Creek, Calif.; his brother, Tom Ruckman and his wife Donna of Reubens; grandchildren Catherine Chapman of Dayton, Marc Ruckman of Vandenberg, Calif., Ashley Martin, Amanda Martin, and Samantha Camden of Lewiston, and Rai Franklin, Quenton Franklin and Johnathan Franklin of Post Falls; and great-grandchildren, Robert, Rastan, KiKi and Ariah-Lee.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Malcom's Brower-Wann Chapel, 1711 18th St., Lewiston. There will be a reception following the service at the clubhouse near Ed and Joe Ann's house. The address is 3428 15th St.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ed's memory may be made to a charity of choice.

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