Valerie A. Ruff

Val was born May 2, 1963, in Monroe, MI to Clayton Johnson and the late Patricia Johnson.  Valerie was baptized and received into the Catholic Church on September 10, 1977.

She was valedictorian of her 1981, Monroe High School class. She graduated cum laude from the University of Toledo with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985, and received her Masters of Science from the University of Toledo in 1987.

She attended Northview Church with her husband, and dedicated her life to serving others. She passionately gave her time to the children of Northview, where she served the church’s Sunday school program for several years. She also volunteered with Brookside Community Church youth ministry programs.

Val treasured spending time with her family and siblings. Family vacations with Val were always joyful, as her carefree personality captivated those around her. Fiercely compassionate and equally independent, Val never took life too seriously and always knew to cherish the irreplaceable family memories. She brought light and laughter into each life she touched. She adored spending time with her husband and staying active together, playing tennis and cycling.

Val joined The Upjohn Company, Department of Cell Biology as a research scientist in 1987. Val’s expertise in cell/molecular biology and protein biochemistry allowed her to contribute to research projects in the diverse areas of Oncology, Inflammation, and Neuroscience.  She truly ‘led from the bench’, and as characteristic of many successful scientists, she was not afraid to tackle new areas of experimentation and research. Examples of her achievements included establishing cellular models for Alzheimer’s disease, mapping biological pathways in arthritis/inflammation and cloning newly discovered genes, resulting in over a dozen publications in scientific journals.  Val worked in the same lab and department during her 16 years at Upjohn/Pharmacia, with continuing promotions up the scientific research ladder. In addition to her scientific skills, Val was known for her outgoing, friendly personality and her willingness to contribute where needed, and thus was a true ‘people leader’ among her colleagues.  Following the merger with Pfizer, Val left Kalamazoo to join Eli Lilly and Company in 2003.

At Lilly, Val continued her pursuit of scientific discovery, leveraging her expertise to continue to make contributions to the fields of Oncology and Immunology.  During her tenure at Lilly Research Laboratories, she contributed to the identification and characterization of novel drug targets, including Oncology projects that used tailored therapeutics, a research method designed to identify safer and more efficacious drugs to treat cancer patients. In 2006, one of her projects advanced into clinical development, a major milestone for any scientist involved in pharmaceutical research.   In 2007 Val transitioned from bench science to clinical research, joining Lilly’s US Medical Division supporting medical affairs in the field of bone physiology and Osteoporosis. Val wholeheartedly embraced her role in medical affairs at Lilly, including the challenges of clinical research.  Here again, her impact was great.  Val brought a depth of scientific experience and critical thinking to the arena of clinical trial design, proposing and implementing clinical research in Osteoporosis that has led to important and highly respected publications in top clinical and scientific journals.  Her contributions have pushed the field of bone research forward and have laid the foundation for further exploration of drug targets in this area.   In addition to clinical research, Val was also very active in supporting marketing and sales business partners, providing her expertise to ensure that physicians and patients had appropriate education on the use of the medicines she supported.  Val had a passion for teaching and a talent for it such that she was highly sought out by her colleagues across the company. Beyond the science, Val was universally known as the ultimate team player, always being the first to volunteer her help, and being the first to go to when in need.  She had a unique way of galvanizing her teams to deliver on work with pride and camaraderie and to join her in countless service projects that she championed.  In nearly 15 years at Lilly, Val was renowned as a committed scientific expert, inspired by discovery, but more importantly, dedicated to service of patients, colleagues, family and friends and her community.

A celebration of Val’s life will be held from 9:00-11:00 am Saturday, January 20 at Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel, IN, with the service commencing at 11:00 am.

Valerie A. Ruff, 54 of Carmel, IN, passed away Saturday, January 13, 2018. Val is survived by her husband, Ron whom she married August 24, 1984 in Monroe, MI; children, Christopher K. (wife, Shelby) Ruff and Elise A. Ruff; brothers, Chip and Todd Johnson; sister, Vicky (husband, Steven) Loveland.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Val’s memory may be made to: Indiana Canine Assistance Network (ICAN): http://www.icandog.org/; or National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center at Case Western Reserve University:  https://case.edu/medicine/pathology/divisions/prion-center/donation-information/.