Gustav Henry Ruckle
Gus was born to Gus and Henrietta “Penny” Ruckle as their only child on August 25, 1978.
From 1st through 8th grade, he attended St. Helena’s School in Olney. Immediately after graduating to Cardinal Dougherty High School, Gus got involved with the theater department. He appeared in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Our Town and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He starred in two of the three one-act plays put on during his senior year.
In addition to theater, Gus was also heavily involved in CDTV, the Dougherty television station. He served as anchorman, cameraman, director and even producer of the daily homeroom news show from his sophomore year through his graduation in 1996.
Academically, Gus was an honor student in history and in English class. True to form, he directed and starred in his senior AP production of Richard III.
After graduating in the top 25 at Cardinal Dougherty, Gus made the decision to travel west, enrolling at The College of Santa Fe. He wanted to explore a new part of the country, and was eager to take classes in both film and writing. He soon found himself working on a number of film projects with student Eric Trenkamp.
Mirroring his success both inside and outside the classroom at Dougherty, Gus held a number of leadership positions while at The College of Santa Fe. He was the class valedictorian, the president of the student council, and the editor of the student newspaper.
You might think a guy who drove an ’84 Dodge Laser (dubbed the “Shit Mobile”) wouldn’t dare to mock his friends, but his social life was equally important to him, and he masterminded a number of pranks among his friends. Most notably was the time he moved the contents of Kent Bernhard’s room into the hallway, set up exactly as they had been inside.
All you need to know of Gus’s exuberant sense of humor is that he often told friends at CSF that if he got famous, what he really wanted was a toilet in the new student life building named after him.
Gus’s academic and social achievements at CSF are impressive enough taken on their own. But to understand the scope of his abilities, it helps to know that he achieved most of them in the face of a very discouraging melanoma prognosis delivered during his freshman year.
Between semesters, Gus came home to Philadelphia and scheduled a doctor’s appointment to remove a mole. Undaunted (and against the wishes of his parents and friends) he went back to Santa Fe. He received treatments during semester breaks and while he was home for the summer. By his own admission, he wanted someone to learn from his disease, which is why he chose to work with the University of Pennsylvania’s oncology team. He was adamant that he work with a teaching hospital. He was equally adamant that he graduate from The College of Santa Fe, which he did in 2000.
The Santa Fe New Mexican published a profile about Gus on the eve of his college graduation. The newspaper hailed his dedication to his education even while fighting his cancer. Gus himself brought up his challenges during his valedictorian address to the graduating class.
In the past I have spoken about how there were times in the past two years when I wanted to throw in the towel and quit. I wanted to give it all up, and just let happen to me whatever was going to happen. It got pretty overwhelming at times. But I leaned on you and asked you for advice. I am here today to return to you the words you told me through all the nerves and all the tears. Never quit. Never quit smiling either. Cynicism is easy. It's more difficult to be truly happy and light. The world is full of cynics, they are a dime a dozen. Stand out in the crowd. Smile and laugh and actually mean it. When you are happy, don't hide it. Let it shine so that all of your friends scattered all over the world after today will be able to see it and point it out to their friends and say with pride, "That light is coming from my friend." Keep each other's names on the tip of your tongue. When you speak that name, believe that they hear it.
His friends in Philadelphia didn’t notice much of a change either. Gus was still his fiercely optimistic self. He liked to jokingly refer to his condition as “the flu.” He was the first of his friends to own a cell phone (though it was almost always turned off). At least once or twice a season he would invite the gang to his parents’ shore house in Mays Landing, New Jersey. The parties became known as “Weekend at Goose’s,” “GusFest” and “GooseFest.” Regardless of his health, Gus was always committed to spending time with the people he cared about the most.
After graduating from The College of Santa Fe, Gus worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Rothman Institute. He believed mightily in the work both organizations did for the city of Philadelphia.
During the fall of 2004, Gus got the grim news that his cancer was growing. He celebrated the holidays that year in and out of the emergency room, but still found a way to shop for his family and Shannon. Gus died the afternoon of February 6, surrounded by the people he loved the most.