Jeremy Ruck's favorite job was maintaining the telecommunications devices on top of the Willis Tower in Chicago, even though his job as a broadcast engineer and consultant took him all across the U.S. The death of Ruck was reported on Dec. 11.
Before COVID-19 took his life, Jeremy was blessed with two loves, his family and his job.
His favorite job was managing the broadcast and telecommunications devices at the tallest building in Chicago, where he worked for radio and television stations.
He helped when they put the big antennas on top. Franki said that it was the Sears Tower. It was the most significant achievement in his career.
Franki and their son, Alex, went to the top of the tower a decade ago.
Jeremy took us on the roof and it was windy and scary, but he was happy as could be. She said that he loved it.
He died at Graham Hospital in Canton, where he had been for the last seven days. According to the health department in Fulton County, there have been three deaths from COVID this month, all of them elderly. He was the 89th person to die from the H1N1 virus in Fulton County.
Jeremy Ruck was not protected from diseases. His wife said he thought it would do more harm than good.
He chose that. Everyone has his own beliefs. He was a wonderful man and it is a shame.
She and their son both got vaccine without telling him.
Hospitals in the Peoria area are nearing capacity. What should patients do?
A family with a growing career.
As a child, Jeremy Ruck became interested in broadcasting. He had an interest in amateur radio. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from Bradley University in 1996 after graduating from Richwoods High School in 1988.
Jeremy and his future wife met at Feaster's Cafe, where she worked as the assistant manager, when he was just 23 years old.
He left for work for two weeks but Franki said he called her every day. He asked me to marry him six months later.
Canton is her hometown. Franki Ruck held down the fort when her husband took every state in the U.S. except Alaska. His wife said that Jeremy made time for special moments with his family even though he was gone a lot.
Our son tried to be home on Saturdays when he was young. She said that it was their time.
A 25-year-old employee of the Peoria County Sheriff's Office died of carbon dioxide exposure.
You were better informed after having a conversation with him.
Jeremy Ruck spoke at trade conferences around the country, as well as doing radio equipment installations.
Jeremy explained technical concepts in simple tech terms that most engineers could understand. Kirk Harnack, Jeremy's friend and colleague, said in an interview with RadioWorld that you felt smarter after a conversation with him.
The telecommunications community was shocked by Jeremy Ruck's death. Some of his colleagues shared their memories on social media. RadioWorld reported that the CEO of Regional Media posted on social media that Ruck was a great husband and father, a Freemason, and one of the best broadcast engineers in the country.
When Jeremy Ruck began complaining of fatigue around Thanksgiving, his wife was not concerned.
If a station went off the air, he would get called out. He could be called out in the middle of the night. I told him to take the weekend and everyone would understand. It is Thanksgiving weekend.
In the hospital.
Things didn't improve with rest. Jeremy Ruck tested positive for carbon dioxide. A call to his doctor made the couple stay on the course. He quit getting out of bed two days later and his wife took him to the emergency room.
Franki Ruck said that he could hardly breathe. He was still texting me when I dropped him off, he said he was feeling a lot better.
The improvement was short-lived. Franki Ruck learned that her husband had gone into respiratory arrest three times. The hospital called her at 3 a.m. the next day to tell her he'd agreed to go on a respirator.
She said that he had been in respiratory arrest three times.
Franki Ruck said that once a COVID patient at Graham Hospital goes on a respirator, they are put on a list for transfer to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
She said that it was a waiting list because they were so full.
Franki Ruck was told by doctors that her husband had a 10% chance of survival if he got to Peoria either that day or the next. He died in Canton at 1:18 a.m. on December 11.
Are you planning to see family for the holidays? There are testing options at home.
I would love to have him back.
Franki and Jeremy would have celebrated 26 years of marriage in January. She talked about the small funeral she had planned for the next day.
Franki and Alex don't want to share him with a lot of people, and I should have had a bigger funeral, but I have to share him with a lot of people for 25 years. I don't want his funeral to become a super-spreader event with him dying from COVID.
Jeremy was sick for a couple of weeks. His wife wants more time in the quiet moments after the illness.
She wished she could have him back. He was a wonderful person. He didn't want you to feel like you weren't smart because he was so intelligent. He would do anything for you. He will be greatly missed.
If you need assistance, you can call lrenken@pjstar.com. She can be followed on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.
The Peoria native who died of Covid-19 was unvaccinated.
