Cynthia Lee Ruffin

ATTN: PLEASE DO NOT SEND FLOWERS

Mrs. Cynthia Lee Ruffin became our angel on March, 15, 2020. Born on June 13, 1958, in Detroit, Michigan, she was the second of twin girls born to the union of Leonard and Ethel Wiggins.

Cynthia accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Detroit.

She spent her formative years in Detroit attending St. John's Lutheran Elementary School, Murphy Junior High School and Henry Ford High School. She was a cheerleader and played the flute in the Henry Ford school band. At a very young age, she expressed interest in becoming a nurse to help sick children and in June 1983, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Her professional life spanned years in the nursing profession, working in hospitals on the West Coast as well as in the Detroit area, where she cared for her patients in Labor and Delivery units and Neonatal ICUs. Later, she worked for the Detroit Board of Education as a nurse for Gompers Elementary School, where she was affectionately known as “Nursie” by the students and faculty. Cynthia had a stellar professional career in which she always valued her patients and peers. She was a giving person with a deep commitment to their healing and care. She was an avid University of Michigan Wolverine, witty and humorous, and was a role model for her nieces and nephews in all of their educational and vocational pursuits.

Cynthia was the ultimate daughter to her parents and wonderful sister to her siblings. She was a loving person and was loved by many. She had a glowing spirit blessed with the ability to bring out the best in all. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends where you would often hear her infectious laugh.

On November 28, 2009, she married Edward Ruffin in Detroit, Michigan. They later moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where Edward is a licensed Funeral Director at Watkins, Garrett and Woods Mortuary, Inc. Cynthia pursued her nursing profession working for the South Carolina Public Health Department.

She leaves to cherish loving memories, her devoted husband, Edward Ruffin; her twin sister, Cheryl Adams, and another sister, Victoria (Gregory) Thrasher; two brothers, Reginald and Ronald Wiggins; two brothers-in-law, Donald Wright and Charles (Dr. Saliem) Ruffin; two sisters-in-law, Fredella Malone and Earline (Don) Fechter; and loving nephews, nieces, cousins, friends and colleagues.