BATON ROUGE – Friends and family members of former LSU football player and well-known restaurateur Ruffin Rodrigue are gathering to honor his memory during a public visitation that will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in Coleman Hall of Baton Rouge's St. James Episcopal Church.

Rodrigue passed away the day before Thanksgiving, on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at the age of 53.

The Thibodaux native is survived by his wife of nearly fifteen years, Alison, and their two children, Adam, and Maggie as well as his father and two brothers, Gawain and Braden.

While playing football for LSU, Rodrigue was named an All-SEC Lineman and helped push the team to SEC Championships in 1986 and 1988.

He continued his career in football after graduating in 1990, by playing for the World League of American Football until an injury concluded his focus on football and allowed him to set his sights on business aspirations.

Armed with a degree in marketing and a circle of supportive friends, Ruffin took the food and beverage industry by storm, eventually becoming the owner of a beloved Italian-Creole restaurant and catering business, Ruffino's Restaurant. The popular restaurant has become known as a staple in south Louisiana's food culture.

Separate from the Tuesday, December 1 public visitation is a committal of ashes ceremony that will take place as a private event at St. Joseph Cemetery in Thibodaux on a later date.

The Rodrigue family asks that in lieu of flowers, those who wish to offer condolences do so by donating to the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center or to the charity of their choice.