Michael Lee Ruffridge

Michael Lee Ruffridge, age 66, of Pocatello Idaho, died at The Peaks Living facility (Clinton Utah), on Sept 12, 2025. He passed from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

Mike was born in Carmel, CA on Dec 24, 1958, to Wayne Charles Ruffridge and Barbara Joan Herzog Ruffridge. Mike and his family moved to Reno, NV, before 1960. Mike spent his youth in Reno before moving to Pocatello in February 1971 when he was 12 years old. His first day of school was Valentine’s Day. His dad dropped him off at Hawthorne Jr High. When Mike found out there was a Valentine’s Dance that day, he left school and walked home to Chubbuck Rd, from the memory of the morning drop off, as he wasn’t having any of a school dance on his first day (or any day as he was very shy).

Mike was best friends with his older brother, by two years, Richard Ruffridge. After acclimating to the Pocatello environment, Mike made friends with Mario Aleman and Daryl Arnold, as well as Brian Gard. These young men were his rock for many years. Mike’s father, Wayne, was an avid hunter and fisherman. He trained his boys well in the Reno area mountains, including Pyramid Lake, which Mike had fond memories of.

Mike, Rick and Brian did a lot of bird and big game hunting as well as fishing - particularly ice fishing - they camped near Kilgore for many seasons, hunting elk with Black Powder where they took several elk over the years. Mike and Brian got cross-country skis and utilized them for hunting rabbits in deep snow and had some exciting times near Bancroft, and long days deer hunting near Daniels reservoir in remote rugged country. Mike and Brian had some amazing times over the years. Brian taught Mike how to rock climb, and Mike took to it like he had done it his entire life.

Mike graduated from Highland High School in 1976. Mike was a quiet man and wasted little time speaking idly - when he did have something to say, you tended to listen because it might be hours before he spoke again - this quiet silent man was hard to read at times, and it was not surprising how intelligent he was when he did choose to speak.

Then Mike met me in1978. Everything changed. I had grown up in the city (Tempe & Phx AZ) and didn’t really know anyone who hunted. Not that I was interested. BUT Mike did teach me how to cross-country ski. I taught him how to downhill ski as well as how to swim, which came in handy later when he was thrown out of a raft on the Snake River. He was an amazing outdoorsman, who knew all the nature in the Snake River plain, and could tell me the names of all the flowers, rivers, creeks, birds, animals, and mountains. He could see animals in the hills as we were going by WHILE HE WAS DRIVING, which was insane. He was so aware of everything natural around him.

The first day Mike put on downhill skis, we were at Pebble Creek, on the bunny hill. Mike fell a few times. Then he said “I’m done”. I told him I would be back to get him. Waved as I went by on the chair. Came back and asked if he was ready. He didn’t fall down the rest of the day. I don’t think he fell more than 10 times the whole of our skiing together. He was definitely a quick learner, no matter what was placed in front of him. He also loved white water rafting, but we didn’t do as much of that as we’d have liked to.

Mike was a carpet layer when I met him. When we got engaged in 1980, I asked if he could get a more stable job, so he got a job at Simplot, which lasted until Jan of 1981. Mike began his electrician apprenticeship working for my dad, Arthur Carlson, immediately after losing his job at Simplot. In May of 1986, he “turned out”, as an Electrician Journeyman. At this same time, we welcomed a daughter, Ashley Michelle Ruffridge, born on May 21, 1986. She came at a most opportune time…Mike began to be paid journeyman salary.

He worked for Automation Specialties, then Alliance Electric, before working for American Electric for the remainder of his career. I was very blessed to have a jack of all trades for a husband. The following is a list of all the things he could do, as well as using his electrical expertise. He replaced our roof (did not put new shingles over old but removed the old and added the new). He laid tile, carpet, any kind of flooring. He didn’t like to do plumbing, but he would under duress. He re-did our sprinkler system. He built our deck. He built his dad a shed and deck as well. He was a painter, inside and out. He pulled all the evergreens out that were around our house and landscaped our property. We bought unfinished furniture for our bedroom, and Mike sanded and stained it.

Beautifully done. He decorated outside for Christmas for many years, and our house was the only one lit up on our street during that time as well. Plus, he installed the outside lighting we have around our house and the program for it. He removed walls, gutted bathrooms, made our entertainment center. Every room on our main level has been remodeled at least once, many twice. Anything that broke, he could fix.

Mike was a cook. A fabulous cook. I am not sure why it was my primary responsibility the first 15 years we were married to cook, especially when I found out he was a gem in the rough. He put up with some pretty lousy cooking from me before he finally took over. He was a master at timing holiday dinners. My daughter would come over and watch the Master at work every season until she could do it all herself, and Mike no longer had to make those holiday feasts. He made a mean omelet too and could cook any type of food; he was never limited. He learned this skill from his mom and the tradition has been passed to our Ashley.

On January 13 th ,1996, we welcomed a son, Alex Michael Ruffridge. He was quite the surprise and a pleasant one at that. Later, while working during October of 1996 at a water tank pump station, Mike experienced an electrical explosion that burned 33% of his body (primarily his hands, lower arms, and face). He was in Intensive care for over a week and suffered through many debridement removals of nonviable tissue. This lasted for a couple of months, into the Holiday season. The following April, Mike underwent skin grafts for his hands and arms using skin from his legs. This was a very trying time for our family, especially for our 10-year-old daughter, who knew just enough to know it was bad.

Because of Mike’s amazing love for the outdoors, he sought to pass it onto his children. When Ash was very little, he would take her fishing, as well as ice fishing. She and her cousins, Ryan and Patrick, would go out in the cold with their dads, Mike and Rick, frequently during those early years. When Alex came along, Mike set about playing catch up as Alex was the youngest Ruffridge family grandchild and his cousins were much older. He taught Alex fishing and hunting, both big game and wild birds.

The following 24 years were uneventful for our Michael. He worked hard and was steadfast with his dedication to perfection. From the late 2000’s, early teens, Mike would journey to the Oregon Coast to go ocean fishing with his dad. This time with his dad meant so much to him, he would go almost every year.

Mike began having memory issues in 2017 (he mentioned this to his brother). His family didn’t see this, but in hindsight, we can see now what was happening then. He retired on March 1, 2020 after 33 years with full benefits. He was officially diagnosed by a neurologist in December of 2021, after an episode that landed him in the hospital during October of 2021.

Mike passed away after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s on Sept 12,2025. Mike is survived by his wife, Trudee Ruffridge, his children, Ashley Ruffridge, Alex (Shayla) Ruffridge, his grandson Colt Michael Ruffridge, his brothers Richard Ruffridge (Mona) and Robert Ruffridge (Dena), and many nephews, as well as his brother-in-law, Tracy Carlson. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne Charles Ruffridge and Barbara Joan Ruffridge.

Visitation with family will be at Manning-Wheatley Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 1:00 – 2:00pm. The funeral service will begin at 2:00pm, with a graveside service to follow.