Thomas O. Ruby, 60, of Gahanna, Ohio, died Saturday, October 21, 2017 at home from pancreatic cancer. Tom was born in 1957 in Mount Vernon, Ohio to C. Orland Ruby and Corinne Blackburn Ruby.
Tom grew up in Centerburg, New London and Alliance, Ohio, where his dad and mother served United Methodist churches as minister and director of Christian education, respectively. Tom graduated from Alliance High School (1975), Davidson College (1979) and Harvard Law School (1982).
In 1989, he married the love of his life, Mary Jo Geyer. Tom spent his entire professional career at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, first as an associate and then, since 1989, as a partner. His practice concentrated on commercial finance, including loan transactions (representing lenders and corporate borrowers), commercial contracts, other areas of the Uniform Commercial Code, and aircraft acquisitions, sales and financings.
Tom also had significant involvement in the firm’s opinion letter practice and the training of younger lawyers. He was a member of the Columbus, Ohio State, American, and Lawyer-Pilot Bar Associations. In addition to his professional associations, Tom was a member of Broad Street Presbyterian Church and the Athletic Club of Columbus.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents and his parents-in-law, Paul and Marjorie Geyer.
In addition to Mary Jo, he is survived by nieces, Tania Barnett and Christie Stouffer, nephew, Joshua Stouffer, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jim and Elaine Geyer, sister-in-law, Linda Stouffer, many cousins, including, on Mary Jo’s side, Larry and Melanie Ross, Cori Ross and Lauren Ross James, and his Vorys family.
Visitation will be Tuesday, October 24, 2017, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Palmer Hall, Broad Street Presbyterian Church, 760 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio. A celebration of Tom’s life will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, at Broad Street Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish to make a donation in Tom’s memory may do so to Broad Street Presbyterian Church, Davidson College, Class of 1979 Scholarship, PO Box 7170, Davidson, NC 28035-7170 or to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90166-3721.
Tom and Mary Jo would like to thank The James Cancer Center for their compassionate and comprehensive care. Services entrusted to Schoedinger Northeast Chapel. Visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories or extend condolences.
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