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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release November 20, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE VICE PRESIDENT

Tipper and I were very saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Charles F. C. Ruff. Chuck Ruff was a gifted attorney, a devoted public servant and a man of uncommon honor, integrity and decency.

Chuck Ruff's historic contributions to our nation span decades and will serve as a source of inspiration for scholars and citizens for generations to come. But beyond the terrain of his keen legal insights and accomplishments in the public realm lie his tremendous personal qualities. He was a man deeply devoted to his family and to the community in which he lived. He treated colleagues and courtroom adversaries alike with respect and good humor. And he cared deeply about the law -- not for its own sake, but for the higher human purpose it serves.

We will all miss Chuck Ruff's wisdom, wit and dignity. Tipper and I offer our prayers to his wife Sue, his daughters Carin and Christy, his mother Margaret and all his family and many friends. May their memories of Chuck's generous spirit sustain them in this difficult time.

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