TAMPA — Richard Ruhlen didn't mind the seventh-grade hormones, or the screeches produced by novice musicians picking up an instrument for the first time.
For more than two decades, he taught students how to make noise, and eventually melodies, on every instrument in the Sligh Middle School band.
He understood the middle-schoolers' goofy humor. Mr. Ruhlen was a lifelong Bugs Bunny man.
He appreciated the kids' dining preferences. Mr. Ruhlen believed that Krispy Kreme doughnuts were appropriate for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
He identified, above all, with his students' sense of wonder. Other band directors might have longed to work with more advanced musicians, but Mr. Ruhlen relished introducing players to their instruments.
"It was a treacherous job," said John Acosta, the former longtime band director at King High, the feeder school for Sligh. "I don't know how anybody could do it, but he did it with perfection."
Mr. Ruhlen died Sept. 11, 2009. He was 75.
He could play almost all of the instruments he taught, but was most accomplished on the trumpet.
For decades, he played in bands that performed at community events and American Legion halls. He loved big band music and all things jazz.
"We had one of everything in our house — drums, trumpets, flutes, clarinets, saxophones," said his daughter, Gayle Miller. "My dad was always playing something.
Growing up in Lima, Ohio, Mr. Ruhlen played in his high school band.
He continued with the trumpet in the marching band at the Ohio State University, where he earned a bachelor's in education. He promptly went on to the University of Michigan for his master's in music education.
Not a fan of the cold, after several years teaching in Ohio he moved his family to Florida, and bought a house in Temple Terrace. He briefly taught music at the elementary school level before joining Sligh in 1971.
During the summers, he took odd jobs to make extra money. He fixed television sets and air conditioners in cars before settling into lawn mower repair at a shop owned by Butch Doyle, who became his best friend.
"He wasn't the best mechanic, but he was the most honest and dependable," Doyle said, noting that Mr. Ruhlen was always doing extra things, like sharpening blades, without charging customers. "If it needed it, it got it, whether you wanted it or not."
In off hours, Mr. Ruhlen scoured flea markets to build his extensive tool collection, which included spares of many speciality items. He loved Snap-on tools, almost as much as the black dachshund he called Moe Moe.
Sunday mornings were for church and the afternoons were for napping. Mr. Ruhlen didn't have the best voice, but his was among the loudest in his church choir.
When he retired from Sligh in 1994, Mr. Ruhlen signed on as a substitute teacher. Frequently he filled in at Sligh.
When asked why he didn't just return full time, he explained that he liked having a choice every day.
Mr. Ruhlen continued to play the trumpet and performed locally until a stroke several years ago.
After that, he still enjoyed listening to the greats like Miles Davis, Les Brown and Woody Herman.
At his memorial service this week, a trumpet ensemble performed the canon music.
Richard Joseph Ruhlen
Born: June 30, 1934
Died: September 11, 2009
Survivors: Brother, Bill Ruhlen; children, John Ruhlen and Gayle Miller; stepsons, Kenny and Frank Banning; grandchildren, Trent and Lauren Miller.
In his memory, family members have established the Richard Ruhlen Band Fund to provide instruments to children who can't afford them. Donations can be sent care of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay; 500 N. Reo Street, Suite 301; Tampa, FL 33609. Learn more at (813) 282-1975.
>>Biography
Richard Joseph Ruhlen
Born: June 30, 1934
Died: September 11, 2009
Survivors: Brother, Bill Ruhlen; children, John Ruhlen and Gayle Miller; stepsons, Kenny and Frank Banning; grandchildren, Trent and Lauren Miller.
In his memory, family members have established the Richard Ruhlen Band Fund to provide instruments to children who can't afford them. Donations can be sent care of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay; 500 N Reo St., Suite 301; Tampa, FL 33609. Learn more at (813) 282-1975.
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