William A Ruppert, Jr.

William (Bill) A. Ruppert, Jr., 70, of Cape Coral, Florida passed away at Health Park Hospital in Ft. Myers, FL on June 17, 2017 surrounded by those who love him most. Bill was born on June 19, 1946 to William and Agnes Ruppert at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, FL. As a young child, his family moved to North Babylon, New York. He attended State University of New York Farmingdale on Long Island, receiving a degree in Air Conditioning and Electrical. Following college, Bill took his first job at Borg-Warner in York, Pennsylvania.After relocating to the Ft. Myers area in 1974, Bill met his love of a lifetime, Debbie Mangum. They were married on December 30, 1978. Together they raised three children William A. Ruppert III (Billy), Jason, and Samantha. Bill worked in high-rise construction for 28 years and retired in the summer of 2014.

Bill was a devoted husband, father and “Opa.” He was a kind and gentle man. Bill was an avid reader and well known for being the “Beard of Knowledge.” If you wanted to know something, Bill was the man that could explain anything under the sun long before the Internet or Google existed. He enjoyed sharing his wisdom and experience with anyone that would listen. Bill was also known for his thoughtful, witty remarks and sense of humor. He was a father figure to many and always had a way of making you see the big picture, focusing on the important things in life. Family meant everything to Bill. He enjoyed sitting around the dining room table sharing stories and learning as much as he could about his family history. He loved being able to share these stories with his wife and children from generations before.

He spent his retirement enjoying the beach, being a roadie and the “Road Dad” to his favorite local duo, Cadillac Blue (Lisa and Terry Baker, his Canadian kids), and spending his days with his twin grandchildren, Cooper and Sydney. Bill watched after his grandkids during the week while his daughter and son-in-law went to work. He was a proud Opa and loved watching and interacting with them. He was sure to always slip his grandchildren extra treats and showered them with so much love. Bill always commented on how having two was more fun than having just one baby at a time.

He will be missed by many, and in the words of Bill, “Life is good.”

He is survived by his loving wife Debbie Ruppert of Cape Coral, FL; three children, William A. Ruppert III of Colorado, Jason Charles Ruppert of Cape Coral, FL and Samantha Blanchette (Craig) of Cape Coral, FL; two grandchildren, Cooper and Sydney Blanchette; four brothers, Paul Ruppert of Cape Coral, FL, Peter Ruppert (Barbara) of Sayville, NY, Damian Ruppert (Debbie) of Haymarket, VA and Dennis Ruppert (Adele) of Fort Salonga, NY; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family members.

A Memorial Service will be held 12:00 PM, Friday, June 23, 2017 at Mullins Memorial Funeral Home, 3654 Palm Beach Blvd., Ft. Myers, FL 33916. Friends may visit with the family from 11:00 AM until service time at the funeral home.

Friends are invited to send condolences via the on-line guest book, which can be found at www.MullinsMemorial.com.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.