Skip Kruse

 

     Ralph "Skip" Kruse was born on March 8,1950. He lost his hard fought battle with cancer on September 15,2024 at his summer home In Franklin, North, Carolina

 

     After serving with the Chicago Fire Department for 7 years, he and his wife, Barbara, moved to Key Largo, Florida where he joined the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. Skip retired from Miami-Dade after 25 years of service. His favorite saying about retirement was "I'll miss the clowns but I won't miss the circus."

 

     Skip was an overachiever. Instead of being a scuba diver, he became a scuba instructor. Instead of just building his home in Key Largo he became a licensed general contractor. Instead of being a firefighter/paramedic he became a Battalion Chief.

 

     Being very outspoken you always knew where you stood with Skip.

 

     Throughout his life Skip enjoyed boating, scuba diving, golf, and the mountains of North Carolina, as well as traveling and car shows with his corvettes.