Brigitte M. Rugierro, 65, of Vero Beach, passed away suddenly at the Indian River Medical Center on Feb. 13, 2015.
She is survived by her loving husband and best friend of 47 years, Ronald Ruggiero; son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Jeannie Ruggiero; sister Hannelore Mertz; sister-in-law Linda Ruggiero; father-in-law Carmine Ruggiero; seven grandchildren (whom she adored) Josh, Emma, Alexis, Trevor, Taylor, Meghan, and Sophie; and a large extended family.
She was preceded in death by her son Daniel Ruggiero and parents Katharina and Georg Reiss.
Rugierro was born in Speyer, Germany. Her happiest years were spent with her husband raising their children and watching their grandchildren grow. Over the years, she touched many lives and will be greatly missed. She was one of the most thoughtful people you could have ever known. She never missed a birthday or special occasion and had a way of bringing a smile to the faces of everyone around her. She was a true friend to all those who knew her.
A small memorial will be held at The Strunk Funeral Home in Vero Beach on Tuesday Feb. 17, 2015, at 10 a.m. There will also be a Mass and Funeral held in Enfield, Conn., during the summer (date and time to be announced later).
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations in Brigitte’s memory to be made to The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association at http://www.alsa.org/donate/.