Funeral services for Ben Wiley Ruscoe, age 86, of Leland will be 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 20 at Leland United Methodist Church. He died Saturday, March 17 at his home. Burial will follow in Oddfellow Cemetery, Starkville at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday. All services are under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Leland. Ben was born September 1, 1925 to Herbert and Annie Laura Ruscoe. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict. During WWII he landed on Normandy Beach and went through France and Germany with General Patton’s Third Armed Forces.When he returned, he played football at Mississippi State University for four years. Upon graduation, he coached and taught at West Tallahatchie High School, West Point, Columbia, and Leland. He retired after 32 years and in 2 weeks began his career at Washington School. This was his 25th year at WS. He spent his life loving every child he knew. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Betty Palmer Ruscoe of Leland; four sons, Mark Ruscoe (Jackie) of Asheville, NC, Ben Ruscoe, Jr. (Ann) of Clarksdale, MS, Jon Ruscoe (Marilyn) of Oxford, MS, and Shannon Ruscoe (Kim) of Collierville, TN; 1 daughter, Mollie Heleniak (Jason) of Columbus, MS; 9 grandchildren, Laura Bess and Taylor Ruscoe, Rhett (Cassie) and Jon Landon Ruscoe, Ben and Grant Ruscoe, Baily, Jack, and Ella Laughmiller; one great grandchild, Avery Catherine Ruscoe; 4 sisters, Marjorie Lotz, Hettie Wall Ruscoe, Nancy Lawson and Laura Killebrew; and one brother, Herbert Ruscoe. A visitation will be held 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 19 at Boone Funeral Home, Leland. Memorials may be made to the Leland United Methodist Church or the Endowment Fund at Washington School.
