John Rucho (November 22, 1922 – February 22, 2015) was a member of 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 ...

and an American businessman. Born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, he moved with his family to

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

. He went to Commerce High School and Becker Junior College. From 1942-1945, Rucho served in 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 ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a 3rd class petty officer and a combat veteran on the USS Custer and Newberry, and courageously fought on an amphibious assault squadron at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the Marshall Islands. Upon returning he went to Simmons School of Floral Design in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In 1946, Rucho along with his brothers opened Dian's Flower Shop in Worcester, Ma. In 1967, Rucho embarked on another venture with the establishment of Crest Jewelers in Worcester. From 1973 to 1979, Rucho served as a Democrat in the

from the Main South region and served for three terms. He served on the Joint Committee on Post Audit and Oversight and the Committees on Election Laws and State Administration. He filed legislation in areas of welfare reform, property tax relief, and campaign financing. He also served a term as Commissioner of Hope Cemetery. After his political career he continued working as a public servant for the

Worcester County, Massachusetts Worcester County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts while also b ...

Sheriff department until retirement.'1977-1978 Public Officials of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,' Massachusetts General Court, Biographical Sketch of John Rucko, pg. 282 Upon retirement Rucho spent his remaining years residing in both St. Petersburg, FL and Worcester, Ma.

Notes

1922 births 2015 deaths Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island Politicians from Worcester, Massachusetts Becker College alumni Businesspeople from Massachusetts Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 20th-century American businesspeople United States Navy personnel of World War II {{Massachusetts-MARepresentative-stub