Jason David Ruffing

of Bainbridge Island passed away peacefully on Monday, August 18, 2014 at the age of 43 with his wife, mother and dog, Abbey, at his side. Jason was born and raised in Chicago, IL where he met the love of his life, and his future wife, Kate (Hillmann) Ruffing. They married on a beautiful fall afternoon in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest on September 20, 2003.Jason was a software engineer, having received degrees from DuPage College, Roosevelt University and Masters from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. He worked at AC Nielsen and was instrumental in the design and development of their statistical software systems. He then took a position with Art Technology Group (ATG) in Seattle (now part of Oracle).Jason & Kate moved to Bainbridge Island in 2007. From the time they met, they talked of living in the Pacific Northwest and after a vacation to the Olympic Peninsula, and missing the ferry, they discovered Bainbridge Island and immediately began making plans to move there.A lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, Jason loved to watch and play the game and was an all-star pitcher in his youth. One of his happiest moments was when the White Sox finally won the World Series. After his wife noticed tears in his eyes and commented that he hadn't wept at their wedding, he told her, "I have been waiting for this my whole life. I have only been waiting for you since puberty". Jason loved making people laugh, even when his jokes were terrible. An avid outdoorsman, Jason loved fishing of any sort, hiking in mountains, farming ducks & chickens and exploring nature through the lens of a camera. Hikes that took him deep into the woods and among the old growth Pacific Coast trees were his favorite. He was a strong supporter of animal rescue and adopted two rescue dogs, Abbey and Riley and one cat, Newman, who was his faithful sidekick. Most of all, Jason was a wonderful person, full of love, kindness and compassion towards all.Jason is survived by his wife, Kate; mother, Sally Ruffing of Bainbridge Island, WA; sister, Julie Zolidis of Roselle, IL; niece, Jackelyn Zolidis and nephew, Zachary Zolidis of Roselle, IL; brother, Mark (Kristina) Rake of St. Charles, IL; niece Katie Rake and nephew Nathan Rake of St. Charles, IL and beloved pets Abbey, Riley and Newman. Jason was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Ruffing of Crandon, WI.In honor of Jason, a Memorial will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at Grace Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island, WA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jason Ruffing Memorial Fund at Key Bank (617 High School Road, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110). Funds will be used to support a variety of local charities that were important to Jason.Please sign the online guest book for the family.