Ben Ruscoe

March 18, 2012

Mr. Ben Wiley Ruscoe, 86, of Leland, died March 17 at his home.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 20, 2012, at Leland United Methodist Church.
Burial will follow in Oddfellows Cemetery in Starkville 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. Monday, March 19, at Boone Funeral Home in Leland.
Ben was born Sept. 1, 1925, to Herbert and Annie Laura Ruscoe. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict. During WWII, he landed on Normandy Beach and went through France and Germany with General Patton’s Third Armed Forces.When he returned, he played football at Mississippi State University for four years. Upon graduation, he coached and taught at West Tallahatchie High School, West Point, Columbia and Leland. He retired after 32 years and in two weeks began his career at Washington School. This was his 25th year at Washington School. He spent his life loving every child he knew.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Betty Palmer Ruscoe of Leland; four sons, Mark Ruscoe (Jackie) of Asheville, N.C., Ben Ruscoe, Jr. (Ann) of Clarksdale, Jon Ruscoe (Marilyn) of Oxford and Shannon Ruscoe (Kim) of Collierville, Tenn.; daughter, Mollie Heleniak (Jason) of Columbus; nine grandchildren, Laura Bess and Taylor Ruscoe, Rhett (Cassie) and Jon Landon Ruscoe, Ben and Grant Ruscoe, Baily, Jack and Ella Laughmiller; great-grandchild, Avery Catherine Ruscoe; four sisters, Marjorie Lotz, Hettie Wall Ruscoe, Nancy Lawson and Laura Killebrew; and one brother, Herbert Ruscoe.
All services are under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, of Leland.
Memorials may be made to the Leland United Methodist Church or the Endowment Fund at Washington School.