WRBA President Ed Wendell, left, announced Wayne Ruggiere, of Ohlert-Ruggiere; American Legion Post 118 Commander John Lawless; and Walker Funeral Home owner Paul Rudolph will be honored at the organization’s annual fundraiser. St. Thomas the Apostle teacher Patricia Eggers, who is not pictured, will also be honored at the event. Anna Gustafson/The Forum Newsgroup
Gathered in a room of a diner, steps from the flood of pedestrians hurrying down Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven in the final hours of last Thursday’s daylight, a group of longtime Woodhaven civic leaders and residents raised their proverbial glasses to a group they said represented the history and future of a tight-knit community filled with hard-working families.
Paul Rudolph, who owns the 110-year-old Walker Funeral Home with his father; St. Thomas the Apostle teacher Patricia Eggers; American Legion Post 118, and the insurance and real-estate firm Ohlert-Ruggiere will be honored as crucial pieces of the diverse mosaic that is Woodhaven, the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association announced at the Avenue Diner last week.
“We’re really happy with the folks we’re going to honor this year,” WRBA President Ed Wendell said of those who will be feted at the civic organization’s 42nd annual fundraiser in September.
For the first time in its history, the WRBA held a press conference to announce its honorees for the Sept. 20 fundraiser – one of the most important events of the year for the WRBA. The occasion serves as a major source of funding for the volunteer organization – and celebrates the 41-year-old group’s work and history. Additionally, it recognizes the individuals and organizations that have left a positive imprint on a community that has grown from a small farming community to what residents call a mecca for middle-class families who want to be reminded of what it means to be a part of a community in a city of eight million people where neighbors know – and can rely on – one another.
“It’s a really big honor for me,” said Paul Rudolph, who will be honored as the WRBA’s Man of the Year. “The funeral home has been in Woodhaven since 1899, my father, Paul Rudolph, Sr., took it over in 1983, and it’s always been really important to us to be involved in the community.”
Alongside Rudolph, Eggers – who worked with St. Thomas students and the WRBA on a film about Woodhaven’s history that recently premiered – will be named Woman of the Year, American Legion Post 118, which is based in Woodhaven, will be honored as the Organization of the Year, and Ohlert-Ruggiere will be inducted into the Woodhaven Hall of Fame.
This year, Wendell noted that the WRBA will be raising money for veterans to attend the dinner at no cost to themselves as part of the group’s recently launched “Thank a Vet” program. Individuals can donate $50 to cover the cost of one dinner – though any amount will be accepted.
“We want to make sure vets can join our celebration,” said Wendell.
Post 118 Commander John Lawless, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1966 to 1968, said he is grateful for the recognition from the WRBA and said his group of about 120 members who have served from World War II to Afghanistan is currently trying to attract new people – including women.
“I’ve always found that no matter when people served, they find support at the post,” Lawless said. “I’ve found deep friendships there.”
Wayne Ruggiere, who owns Ohlert-Ruggiere with his 85-year-old father, Joseph A. Ruggiere; his brother, also Joseph Ruggiere; and his brother’s two sons, said his business has a long history in the community. The company, which deals with insurance, real estate, income taxes, and financial planning, has, over the years, purchased smaller insurance companies – the oldest of which was founded about 126 years ago.
Ruggiere, who grew up in Woodhaven and raised his family there before recently moving to Forest Hills, said the community “has a small-town feel.
“People know each other – they keep an eye out for each other,” said Ruggiere, a St. Thomas the Apostle graduate whose father also grew up in Woodhaven. “We take care of each other in Woodhaven.”
Those interested in purchasing tickets to the fundraiser can do so at http://events.woodhaven-nyc.org/2013/07/2013-fundraiser.htm.
By Anna Gustafson
