J. Michael Ruane (December 10, 1927 in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

– June 25, 2006 in

Danvers, Massachusetts Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the renowned beaches of Glo ...

) was an American politician who represented the 7th Essex district in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

from 1975–2005.

Early career

The son of a grocery store manager, Ruane attended St. Mary's Boys High School in

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by Eu ...

. After graduation he spent three years as a member of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. After his military service, Ruane returned to Salem, where he worked for the city as a clerk in the motor division and as a coach, basketball referee and baseball umpire for the Recreation Department. He served as a councilor-at-large on the Salem City Council from 1970 to 1975.

House of Representatives

Ruane was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1974. As a result of redistricting, he faced, and defeated, 8th Essex District Representative

Bruce McLaughlin Bruce McLaughlin (born January 15, 1946) is a Canadian politician. He served as a Member of the Northwest Territories Legislature from 1979 until 1991. McLaughlin was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature in the 1979 Northwest ...

in the Democratic primary. After defeating Salem City Councilman Steve Lovely in the 1980 Democratic Primary, Ruane would not face another challenger for 22 years. From 1996 until his retirement in 2005, he was the vice chairman House Ways and Means Committee.

Death

Ruane died on June 25, 2006 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers, Massachusetts. He was survived by his wife Helena and two of their children. A daughter, Christine, and a son, Patrick, predeceased him.

References

1927 births 2006 deaths Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Politicians from Salem, Massachusetts 20th-century American politicians {{Massachusetts-MARepresentative-stub