Obituary of Judith Anne White

Judith Anne White went to be with her Father in Heaven today. She was 80 years old. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Schenley High School. She married Jack Andrew Ruffner and together they had two children, Kristine Anne and David Andrew. In 1979, she moved to Seminole, Florida with her children and second husband Joseph White. She is survived by her daughter Kristine Ruffner, her granddaughter Jillian M Ruffner, her siblings Kathleen Schwenning (James), William (Victoria), LouAnn Shaffer (SIL) and John Shaffer. She is reunited with her parents Anna Skoko-Shaffer and William Shaffer, her son David Andrew Ruffner, her brother Eugene, sister Joan and many family and friends who now greet her as she takes her place beside her true Father in Heaven. Judy lived a full and happy life that touched so many. She loved being around people and loved being active and involved, whether at church, with her kids, at work or when pursuing her own passions. She was a woman of very strong faith. And she turned to that faith in both good times and bad for strength and guidance. Even though she was in Florida and her family still lived in Pittsburgh she kept in close touch regularly. She returned to Pittsburgh to visit as often as possible, and family came to visit often. Some of our best memories were of the whole family sitting around the kitchen table, talking and laughing until our faces hurt. Judy has always been very creative. She was a long time member of her church choir at both Holy Spirit Church in West Mifflin, PA and Blessed Sacrament in Seminole, FL. During her time at Holy Spirit, she choreographed performances of Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell for the church’s Youth Group. She loved crafts and going to craft festivals in the fall. She especially loved painting t-shirts and giving them that extra sparkle, whether it was with glitter, sequins or sparkly paint. She could turn any plain shirt into something special. As a dance teacher she had plenty of opportunities to give her kids’ costumes that extra bling. But above all Judy was a dancer. She began dancing at a very young age and all through high school. And while she put up her dance shoes to raise her family, she couldn’t stay away forever. It all began with a simple Jazzercise class. She enjoyed it so much, she considered teaching, but wanted to be able to do her own choreography. So she studied and got certification as an aerobics instructor. She made physical fitness safe and accessible to seniors as an aerobics instructor in her Sit and Be Fit classes at the Seminole Rec Center. After several very successful years, she returned to her true love of tap dancing. She started taking tap classes at Jeanne Lynn Dance Studio, and after several years she was invited to teach tap and continued teaching until she retired in 2017. To this day, her kids talk about their time with Miss Judy. Not only did she teach them love dancing, but also taught them to be confident, disciplined and how to work as a team. And they loved her for it. Judy was a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, a grandmother, a friend, and a teacher. But it is her kind heart, generous nature, and her dedication to her family and friends that will be remembered most as we celebrate her life and mourn her passing.