August 15, 1940 ~ June 22, 2025

 James (Jim) Lewis Rufty, 84, passed away June 22, 2025. He was born in Toledo, to Myrtle O. Rufty, and Willliam F. Rufty Sr. He attended Macomber High School, where he played football and baseball. Many people over the years said that he was the only left-handed catcher they ever knew.

Jim served in the U.S. Air Force for four years active duty and two years reserve duty. He served as a radio operator in Chateauroux, France, and played baseball for the Air Force while traveling throughout Europe. His coach tried to get him to play first base, but he told him he was a catcher … he got his way.

Jim spent most of his career in the restaurant business. He was the vicepresident of operations for one of the largest Wendy’s franchises in the nation at the time. He left Wendy’s franchise with one of its partners to open The Earl of Sandwich, a full-service restaurant in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Colorado Boulevard, just down the street from the U.S. Air Force Academy, with three dining rooms with views of Pike’s Peak. They then bought franchise rights for the restaurant chain Le Peep, now known as Scramblers, and opened the first two stores in Toledo on Secor at Westgate, and Airport and Reynolds. Jim then went into a partnership with his nephew, Greg Rufty, and former general manager of Le Peep, Kevin Marsh. They opened the Hungry Hobo on Conant Street in Maumee in the old Victoria Station.

Jim’s love of music led him to purchase a commercial karaoke system for this restaurant, which he then built into a business of its own doing as many as 20 shows a week at bars throughout Toledo, northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. His last job was back working for his nephew at Extra Virgin Food Services, where he delivered school lunches until he was 83.

Jim was preceded in death by his mother and father, Myrtle O. Rufty, and Willliam F. Rufty Sr; brother, William F. Rufty Jr.; wife, Lisa Rufty, and niece, Maureen A. Rufty.

He is survived by his sister-in-law, Sherry A. (Bellair) Rufty; niece, Jodie Rufty-Graux (Angelique); nephew, Gregory A. Rufty (Maria Reiter); great-niece, Megan E. Rufty (Ben Shiple); great-great-niece Annie, and great-nephew, Brendan A. Rufty (Savannah Hurst).

A Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, August 3, at Chateau Louise in Luna Pier, Michigan, from noon to 2 p.m.