Mary Ann Judd Ruffins, 79, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 26, 2018, at Sacred Heart Care Center in Austin after a brief illness.

Mary Ann was born July 10, 1938, in Austin to Leonard and Lillian (Gulbrandson) Judd. She spent her childhood in Austin and graduated from St. Augustine High School in 1956. After graduation, she followed her calling and joined the convent at St. Francis of Assisi in Rochester, Minnesota.

After several years of being in the convent, she left to pursue her passion for music and moved to Chicago, Illinois. Mary Ann studied music at the Sherwood Institute of Music and had many students with whom she shared her love of the piano. While in Chicago, she met the love of her life, John B. Ruffins. Along with her music, she worked for the State of Illinois as a social worker and retired in 2007. Mary Ann loved to cook and play the piano for all of her extended family when she came home for holidays. She loved sports and bus trips to Twins games and the casino. Mary Ann adored all her nieces and nephews and their children and showered them with gifts and love. After suffering a stroke in 2010, she spent three weeks in the hospital in Chicago, was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus-Rochester and then to Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea, Minnesota, where she resided for eight years. In January of 2018, the family was fortunate to bring her to Austin to Sacred Heart Care Center, where she resided until her passing.

Mary Ann is survived by her sister, Barb (Ron) Huffman, Austin; brothers, James Judd, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Mike Judd, Austin; sisters-in-law, Delores (Pete) Judd, Austin, Magdelyn Judd, Albert Lea, and Helen Judd, Austin; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Ruffins; parents, Leonard and Lillian Judd; brothers, Keith Judd, Wayne Judd and Duane Judd; sister-in-law, Hildegarde Judd; and nephew, Wade Judd.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary with Father James Steffes officiating. Visitation will be one hour before the service and a luncheon will follow the service.  Private interment will be at Calvary Cemetery.