Chesterton resident Donna Ann Ruoff passed away Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 at
the VNA Hospice Center, Valparaiso. She was 62.
She was born August 25, 1949 in Gary to Hall F. Wellman and Rita R. Barger
Wellman. On March 30, 1985 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Chesterton,
she married William Ruoff, who survives in Chesterton.
Also surviving are her mother, Rita R. Wellman of Ruskin, Fla.; aunts Mary
Wantland of St. Petersburg, Fla., Joanne Schoon of Portage and Lois Wellman
of Louisville, Ky.; her brother in law and sister in law John and Marilyn
Ruoff of Chesterton; and many cousins nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, Hall F. Wellman, brother John
Wellman and step father Patrick Delisio.
Donna was a 1967 graduate of Portage High School and also of the Beauty
School in Chesterton. Along with her husband, Bill, she operated College
Text Book Business. One part of the business, Indiana Book Service, was
wholesale, and the other part, ibooks, was online retail. Shortly after
school Donna traveled to New York City, where she was a model for I.C.
Isaacs, located in the Empire State Building. She was also employed by
Bethlehem Steel in the accounting department’s main office. She was an avid
reader and loved to sew, do arts and crafts, cooking, traveling and working
jigsaw puzzles. Donna was a loving, caring wife and a wonderful homemaker.
She was very generous in the time she gave and cared for her family and
friends, helping anyone who needed it. The family wishes to thank Father
Stefan Kosinski, the VNA, Paul and Kenny, Ross and Laura, Frank with a very
special thanks to Cletus and all who volunteered their love and friendship.
A Celebration of Donna’s life will be at a later date both locally and in
Florida. Arrangements were under the direction of White-Love Funeral Home,
525 South 2nd St., Chesterton. For additional information, call 926-1309.