Robert "Bob" Lee Ruthrauff

Robert "Bob" Lee Ruthrauff, 77, passed away unexpectedly at his residence in Ocean City, Md., shortly before August 13, 2025. Born on February 7, 1948 in Hagerstown, Md., he was the son of the late

Harold Charles Ruthrauff, Jr. and Doris Elizabeth (Myers) Ruthrauff.

In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his sisters, Sharon Sollenberger and Amy (Ruthrauff) Black.

Bob is survived by his brothers, Harold Charles “Charlie” Ruthrauff III (Pauline) and Terry Ruthrauff; his sister, Jewel Ruthrauff Grossnickle (Kevin); his brother-in-law, Alvey Sollenberger; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

In his early years, Bob delivered The Daily Mail newspaper in the neighborhood near his home on the Sharpsburg Pike. He was an avid bowler and was awarded many trophies. His high scores were printed in the newspaper weekly. He was a loyal Baltimore Orioles baseball fan. He followed the Hagerstown Bears football team with his brother, Charlie.

Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force soon after graduating from South Hagerstown High School in 1966, and was stationed in Plattsburgh, Maine, and Okinawa, Japan, while serving on active duty for five years and achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. While stationed in Okinawa, Bob met and maintained a relationship for many years with a Japanese woman, Shizuko “Serina” Minei. He later returned and married her. The marriage did not last long because she would not relocate to the US. After his time in the Air Force, he returned home for college while serving with the West Virginia Air National Guard in Martinsburg, WV, for the next four years.

Bob attended New York College of Arts and Sciences (1967), Hagerstown Junior College (1972-74), earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland (1974-76), and also attended Essex Community College (1979-80). His work in the Air Force and his education prepared him for his career as a food inspector with the US Department of Agriculture for two years after college working in Wisconsin and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, which started his love for the Shore. After that, he moved to a career position with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Baltimore in 1978. In 1988 he returned to the Eastern Shore by transferring to the Salisbury FDA office and made Ocean City his home for the rest of his life. He retired from the FDA in October 1996. At the age of 51, he began to enjoy the freedom of his active 29-year retirement.

Bob greatly appreciated Maryland seafood. He loved crabs, oysters, mussels, and fish, bringing prizes from his catch or his market finds home for dinner. Bob was an excellent cook and was well known for his crab cakes at the Myers family reunion. He will be long remembered for his ever-present straw hat and camera.

Upon retirement, Bob pursued his passion for photography and was known as “Bob R, oc FotoGuy”. He had a small business for many years called “Photos As You Want Them”. He produced family portraits and photographed weddings on the beach. He continued his hobby of recording natural scenes and creatures in the outdoors throughout his life. He had a love for traveling, particularly enjoying the warmth of Florida and the southwestern United States during the winter months. International trips included Ecuador, Egypt, Mexico, and other destinations.

During his retirement, Bob took annual road trips to Florida and the Southwest in the months of December thru April. He photographed many natural wonders of geography, animals, and plants. Bob enjoyed writing about his travels, sharing his photos, and expressing his thoughts on a variety of topics in emails to friends and family, and through his Facebook page and his columns in Ocean City newspapers, OC Today-Dispatch and the Coconut Times.

He returned from his 25th and last “Adventure” in April 2025!

A celebration of life will be held for Bob on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., with a visitation one hour prior at Rest Haven Funeral Home, 1601 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21742.