BATH BEACH — Eileen LaRuffa was such an active and dedicated parishioner of St. Finbar Church in Bath Beach that it was not a bit surprising her funeral Mass took place there on Saturday, June 29.
But, in a rare move — one that perhaps spoke to her deep connection to the church — her wake was held there, too.
On Friday, June 28, parishioners joined her family, friends and civic leaders from Bath Beach and Bensonhurst at the church at a wake for LaRuffa, who passed away on June 23 at the age of 86.
At the time of her death, LaRuffa was a parish trustee and a Eucharistic Minister.
But she had been deeply involved in the parish for more than 60 years, dating back to the early 1960s. She served in a number of roles in the church, including as a member of the parish pastoral council and director of publicity.
“She wasn’t a pillar of the community. She was the glue. She held everyone together,” said Richard Uzzi, a member of the Knights of Columbus Council at St. Finbar.
With a reputation as a straight-shooter, LaRuffa was also someone pastors relied on as a “go-to person,” parishioners said.
When St. Finbar had a parish school, LaRuffa served as recording secretary for the Home School Association.The school, which opened in the mid-1960s, closed in 2008.
LaRuffa also played a key role in the church’s Marian Rosary Society, said Lorraine Mazzola, a close friend.
“Eileen revived the Marian Rosary Society. It wasn’t active for a long time and nobody was interested in it anymore. She got things started again,” Mazzola explained.
LaRuffa‘s dedication came to the attention of The Tablet, which featured her in a 2021 series “View From The Pew.”
Father Jose Henriquez, the pastor of St. Finbar, said it was only natural for her wake to be held at the church. “I felt it was fitting after all that she meant to this church,” he said.
In addition to her church-centered activities, LaRuffa was a member of Brooklyn Community Board 11 and volunteered in a number of civic organizations, including the 62nd Precinct Community Council, the Fort Hamilton Citizens Action Committee and Friends of Historic New Utrecht.
Anna Marie Paunetto, who worked alongside her in Friends of Historic New Utrecht, said LaRuffa did everything with enthusiasm.
“She always had a smile on her face and got a kick out of everything, even when we were doing something simple like delivering flyers to libraries for an event we were doing,” she said.
However, her first priority was St. Finbar Church, according to friends, who said her devotion was an outgrowth of her deep faith.
“She was such a big part of the parish. She never put herself first,” Mazzola said.
In his eulogy, Father Michael Gelfant, former pastor of St. Finbar and a friend of LaRuffa, announced that a process will soon begin to have New York City officially name the street outside the church in her memory.