Obituary of James LeRoy Rouff

James Rouff passed away peacefully at Dominican Hospital on August 25, 2012, following a two year hard fought battle against melanoma. Born October 10, 1942, in Los Banos, California, Jim would have celebrated his 70th birthday this fall. He was raised on dairy farms in the Central Valley, and had a passion for animals of all kinds. He proudly served his country in the US Army, and following that, worked as a salesman with Warner Lambert Company; retiring with that firm as a Zone District Manager for the military. His career in personal product sales spanned over 30 years. Jim resided in many different places throughout California. It was not until he moved from San Jose to Ben Lomond over 40 years ago that he was finally able to call a place home. He was a talented craftsman who enjoyed doing small projects and making larger renovations on his house. His work schedule kept him on the road constantly, but he made personal sacrifices to be there for his son and daughter; never missing a football, baseball, or basketball game, along with other important family events. Jim loved just being a part of their lives as they grew older and had families of their own, especially cherishing the time he spent with his grandchildren. He was a coach, mentor and friend to many who knew him. Jim was uniquely recognized for wearing many different sports caps of various teams and colleges. He connected with people primarily through his clever sense of humor and quick wit. He had many interests which included playing golf, reading books and watching NASCAR, but one of the things he enjoyed most was taking long rides on his Harley Davidson. Jim is survived by his wife of 45 years, Elaine Rouff of Ben Lomond, his daughter and son in-law, Jackie and Kelly Haggerty and their children, Ryan and Riley Haggerty all of Portland, OR; his son and daughter in-law, John and Jeanne Rouff and their son Brandon Rouff all of Capitola, CA; his sister Marian Campbell of Cottonwood Falls, KS; and his brother Richard Fischer of Bolinas, CA. He also leaves many loving extended family members including his niece, Alana Rouff of Spanaway, WA. Jim was preceded in death by his parents John A. and Marie Rouff; his sister Ann Sargent; his brother Dan Rouff; and his niece Danna Rouff. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Any kind acts of charity may be made to The California Pacific Medical Foundation, Cancer Clinical Trials Research Fund, 2015 Steiner St., San Francisco, CA. 94115. A special thanks to Dr. Minor whose care and compassion helped Jim comfortably stay with us a little bit longer.