Dwayne Lee Ruggles

Having lived his entire 89 years with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Dwayne Lee Ruggles died peacefully at home on December 19, 2022.

Dwayne was born in Fairfield, Iowa, on August 4, 1933, to Tony and Edna Ruggles. He was the second of six children, having one older brother and four younger sisters. Growing up during the Great Depression engendered a lifelong penchant towards thriftiness. But, despite the hard times during these formative years, Dwayne discovered his aptitude for practical jokes. (His favorite was bringing home a live goat in the back seat of his car to his sister as a Christmas present.)

After moving to Kansas City, Dwayne spent his high-school years working at a local grocery store, and always spoke fondly of the experience. In fact, one of his favorite diversions continued to be grocery shopping, and both he and his son cherished their weekly outings to the grocery store in his final few years.

Dwayne served in the Army and then attended college and medical school at the University of Missouri. He met the love of his life, Nancy Lee Brown, and the two married in Nevada, Missouri, on June 9, 1967.

After residency, they moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, and he established a successful solo practice as an Ear Nose and Throat surgeon in North Little Rock. Always standing firm against the tides of change, Dwayne maintained his professional independence throughout his career, believing that was the best way to meet the needs of his patients. After closing his practice, he served our nation’s veterans at the Eugene J. Towbin VA Healthcare Center in North Little Rock.

Dwayne devoted his life to his family. He and Nancy provided love and support for two sons, raising them in a Christian home and faithfully attending Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock.

Dwayne was an avid reader. He diligently read medical and scientific journals, and continued to read well into retirement. He also never let any section of the newspaper go unread. And he never passed up the opportunity, whether on a Sunday afternoon drive or on a family vacation, to impart a history or science lesson upon his children and grandchildren. And he relished late-night phone conversations with his son Mark about current events and life in general.

During retirement, Dwayne and Nancy travelled extensively. Some of their favorite trips included a tour of China, an African safari, and an Antarctic expedition. In fact, they achieved their goal of travelling to all seven continents.

When the time came to put the suitcases and maps away for good, Dwayne and Nancy moved from Little Rock to be closer to family. Reticence about having to choose between Texas and Wisconsin was mitigated by early childhood recollections about upper Midwest winters. And so Dwayne spent his last four-and-a-half years in Wisconsin, but was blessed with visits by his son’s family from Texas.

Dwayne is survived by his sons Scott (Debbie) of De Pere, WI, and Mark (Amy) of Corinth, TX; grandchildren Nathaniel, Ethan, and Gabrielle of De Pere, WI, and Phillip, Ben, and Sophie of Corinth, TX; and a sister, Judy Jergens of Kansas City, KS.

He is preceded in death by his brother, William, and his sisters Mildred Grate, Janet Ruggles, and Donna Ruggles.

Friends and family may visit from 10:00 am until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 am on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at Cotter Funeral and Cremation Care, 860 N. Webster Ave., De Pere, WI 54115. Deacon Kevin DeCleene officiating.

The family would like to thank Dr. Paul Schmitz and Dr. Raul Verma and their staff for all of their compassionate care over the last few years.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a memorial fund at First United Presbyterian Church in De Pere, WI.