On March 28, 2026, Sarah Lynn Ruffi, a well-known lawyer and devoted community activist from Wausau, Wisconsin, died at the age of 57. After a valiant fight with stage 4 glioblastoma, a kind of brain cancer, she passed away in July 2025.
Ruffi practiced law at Ruffi Law Offices in Wausau for more than 20 years, specializing in contracts, commercial law, litigation, and landlord-tenant issues. She was well-known to both customers and coworkers as a professional who approached her work with both expertise and compassion. In the Marathon County legal community, she established a reputation for honesty and dedication.
Beyond her law practice, Ruffi was deeply involved in local organizations. She served as president of the Wausau Kiwanis Club and remained a board member for over 25 years. Her volunteer work extended to the Wausau Chamber of Commerce, the YWCA, the South Area Business Association, the Northcentral Technical College advisory committee, the Marathon County Bar, and the Wausau West Side Business Association. She also played a role in community initiatives such as the Wausau Mobile Youth Vendor Permit and the 2025 Central Wisconsin Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
Ruffi was also committed to education. She served as an instructor for Junior Achievement programs in Wausau schools and at Upper Iowa University, always finding ways to support young people and community development alongside her professional duties.
After her diagnosis, Ruffi continued to serve others in a new way. She used her “Woman Warrior Lawyer” Facebook page to share updates on her health journey, answer questions from others facing brain cancer, offer hope, and express gratitude for the prayers and support she received. Her posts inspired many who were following similar paths.
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions, Wausau Mayor Doug Diny proclaimed March 31, 2026—what would have been Ruffi’s 58th birthday—as Sarah Ruffi Day. The proclamation honored the profound difference she made through her volunteer work and her steadfast presence in the community she loved.
Ruffi is survived by her family. Her passing has left a void in Wausau, where she was known not only as a skilled attorney but as a woman who gave endlessly to the people around her. She will be remembered for her professionalism, her generosity, and the quiet strength she showed until the very end.