Joseph Michael Ruscin 1945-2021 Joseph "Joe" Michael Ruscin went to heaven on September 1st after a long battle with heart disease. The son of a coal miner and homemaker, Joe was born in Latrobe, PA, and spent his childhood in Euclid, OH. Both sets of grandparents immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's from Hungary and Slovakia. From second grade, he knew he wanted to become an architect. In 1969 he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War, and was stationed in Alaska. Upon leaving the military, he used the GI Bill to attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas to fulfill his dream of becoming an architect. While in college, he married the love of his life, Cynthia "Cyndi" Peabody Ruscin. Upon graduation from Texas Tech in December 1970, he and Cyndi moved to San Antonio, Texas, to begin his architecture career and family. Joe ran a successful architecture firm specializing in commercial and residential projects. In 1988 he moved his family to Alabama to work for J.B. Turner Corporation in Roanoke, AL. In 1991 he began graduate school in Community Planning at Auburn University, where he graduated with honors in 1993. Soon after he opened Designs Plus, his architecture firm in Auburn. His projects scatter the southeast, especially in Auburn; one notable project is the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center which features his modern architecture aesthetic. Another notable project is the Garden District apartments, which he designed to evoke the look of New Orleans while also keeping the mature trees on the site, his nod to environmentalism & his love of nature. In 2009 he was invited to join the staff in Facilities at Auburn University and retired June 1, 2019, as Campus Architect. Joe was a man of faith reading his Bible every morning and praying for God's perfect will be done. He loved gardening, carpentry, painting, working on classic cars and attending car shows, all while spending time with his family. Left to cherish his memory are his wife and best friend of 49 years, Cynthia; three daughters, and four grandchildren: Ailecia Joy Ruscin and Max Parrott of Lawrence, Kansas; Melody Faith & Josh Heptinstall of Lafayette, AL and their sons Joshua (20) and Jace (15); Elisabeth Hope and Josh Dindo of Mobile, AL and their children Lawson (5) and Jabe (3). Joe and Cyndi enjoyed travelling together, attending concerts, playing games and visiting Frank Lloyd Wright architectural sites. Joe was the family chef, notably making traditional Hungarian nut rolls and San Antonio style tamales every Christmas as a family tradition; each daughter continues to use his recipes in their own families. He was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. He loved his family dearly! He will be greatly missed! There is no service scheduled at this time but his family asks that friends and family send remembrances and tributes of Joe to Cynthia Ruscin, PO Box 2487, Auburn, AL 36831. Thank you!