Christopher Valentine Ruda

Christopher V. Ruda, 66, of Canton, GA, joined his parents in Heaven on Monday, April 13, 2026, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 at South Canton Funeral Home.

The placement of cremains in the columbarium will be held on April 28, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia. The United States Air Force will present honors.

Chris was born in Buffalo, NY, on February 19, 1960, to Ernest and Loretta (Kozlowski) Ruda. He graduated from Williamsville North High School in 1978. Following high school, Chris joined the US Air Force, where he served as an F-4 aircraft crew chief at Moody Air Force Base. While in the Air Force, he met Valerie Miller and the two married on June 8, 1984. Following the Air Force, Chris continued his career in aerospace at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia, where he first worked as a flight line mechanic and later as a functional test engineer after earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Polytechnic State University. He finished his career with Lockheed Martin and retired in 2018.

For hobbies, Chris enjoyed general aviation as a private pilot, muscle cars (Mopar only), automobile restoration, gardening, and home improvement. He was also known as the Chief Pyrotechnic Officer at family 4th of July gatherings, and was a lifelong, albeit frustrated, member of the Buffalo Bills Mafia. Later in life, Chris spent a lot of time as a caregiver for his parents and was a kidney donor for his father, an act for which the family is forever grateful.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Valerie Ruda of Canton, GA. Son, Kyle (Amanda) Ruda of Acworth, GA. Two daughters, Krista (David) Stewart of White, GA, and Janelle Ruda Fritz of Morrill, KS. Two brothers, Joel (Robin) Ruda of Powder Springs, GA, and Andy (Chrissie) Ruda of Kennesaw, GA. Two sisters, Mary Ellen Taylor of Indianola, WA, and Celine (Tony) Dalfonso of East Amherst, NY. Chris was also a proud Papa to Carter, Hudson, and Jasmine Stewart, Max and Owen Ruda, Jacob and Allyssa Mez, Bradyn Schulenberg, and Lincoln, Caroline, Maverick, and Harper Cochran.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his father and mother-in-law, Leslie and Jackie Miller, brother-in-law, Stacie Miller, and sister-in-law, Laurie Starkey.

Chris Ruda was a brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend, and veteran who worked extremely hard to ensure his children and grandchildren would be successful and experience a life greater than his own.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Tunnel to Towers Foundation or Michael J Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research

South Canton Funeral Home, dedicated to the families we serve, 770-479-3377. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.thescfh.com