William "Bill" Ruble

William "Bill" Warren Ruble, Jr. died Sunday, August 12, 2007. He was 83 years old and was born November 25, 1923. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. William Ruble , Sr. Also preceding him in death were two brothers, Joe Mize Ruble and Houston Ruble as well as three sisters, Essie Ruble Spears, Eula Lee Ruble Hatten, and Irene Ruble Renfroe. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Martha Henderson Ruble. Other survivors include three sons, William Ruble III, Norman Ashford Ruble and John Henderson Ruble and his wife, Dawn and three grandsons, Jonathan Reynolds Stinson, Joshua Kyle Stinson, and Jacob Alexander Stinson, all of Gulfport. Mr. Ruble was a life long resident of Gulfport and graduated from Gulfport High School in 1942. He joined the Navy and after training was transferred to the First Marine Division in Okinawa and Northern China. After discharge he entered the University of Mississippi and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. His junior year he transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi and graduated in 1950. Mr. Ruble received an appointment as special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After graduation from Quantico Academy in Washington, he was assigned to his first office in New Haven, Connecticut. He later served in New York and Kansas City, Missouri before resigning to return to Gulfport. He entered the insurance brokerage business and worked in that capacity for almost 50 years. He was a longtime member of St. Peters by the Sea Episcopal Church, Gulfport. He was a member of the Gulfport Rotary Club and received the Paul Harris Fellowship award. He was also a member of the Century Club. Mr. Ruble was very active in the Gulfport Yacht Club and spent many years sailing on large sailboats with friends he had known over a lifetime. He was elected Commodore of GYC in 1965 and under his leadership the chartroom was built and expanded to its current size. Mr. Ruble was active in the Little Theatre. He was in a number of plays both at the Gulfport Little Theater and also at Center Stage. One of his favorite plays was"That Championship Season" directed by Chuck White and starring Boyce Holleman. Mr. Ruble loved his family and friends and will be missed. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Peters by the Sea Episcopal Church Building Fund, 1304 E. Pass Road, Gulfport, MS 39507 in memory of Bill Ruble. Visitation will be held Wednesday, August 15, 2007 from 6 until 8 p.m. at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, O'Neal Road Gulfport. The funeral service will be Thursday, August 16, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Gulfport. Burial at sea will follow at the Gulfport Yacht Club. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com