Alexander Ruskewich, of Brooklyn, New York and Wilton died peacefully on March 30, 2025 surrounded by his loving family.

His parents, Boris and Eva Ruskewich, emigrated to the United States from Belarus and Ukraine, respectively. They settled in Brooklyn, New York where Alex was born on September 7, 1936, and raised alongside his older sister Mary. Alex loved animals, from their family dog, Ginger, to the bird that landed on their windowsill one day and then became part of the family, to the family pet of 15 years, J.D., a rescue German Shepherd mix that Alex called "the brown-nosed kid." Alex graduated from Lafayette High School in Brooklyn. As a young man, true to his Ukrainian heritage, he spent time in the Catskills as part of a Ukrainian dance troupe. He received a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from City College of New York and went on to earn a Master's degree in Business Administration – International Business from Columbia University. While in college he was in the ROTC as a member of the Pershing Rifles. Alex then served in the United States Army at Fort Belvoir in Virginia as part of the Army Corps of Engineers. After the Berlin Crisis of the early 1960s he was reassigned as an Executive Officer, and after that was in the Army Reserves for two more years. His military service was a source of pride for Alex, and he was a member of the American Legion Post 86 in Wilton for over fifteen years.

Alex had a distinguished career at IBM, where he worked for 32 years. He then spent six more years consulting for IBM until he finally retired in 2003. His time at IBM was remarkable, as he was part of the group that was among the first to market and sell computers to the Soviet Union, and he traveled extensively to various countries in Eastern Europe. Throughout his life he remained a passionate supporter of Ukraine. He moved several times because of his work with IBM, and lived in Vienna, Austria and Croissy-sur-Seine, France. He and his family settled in Atlanta, Georgia before relocating to Wilton in 1981, where he would spend the remainder of his life. Alex made many friends throughout his life, and stayed in touch with many of them, including making trips to Europe for reunions of his IBM ROECE colleagues.

Alex retained his love of technology throughout his life and was an early adopter of new technology and remained keenly interested in advances in the field. After his retirement from IBM, he continued freelance technology consulting for several years. He passed his adventurous spirit, fearlessness with new technology, and intellectual curiosity to his children and niece and enjoyed spending hours with his grandson working on various pursuits on his computer. It is still unclear who taught whom more. They also shared a love of golf, and Alex spent many hours playing golf with his friends and grandson. He loved to ski, particularly when he lived in Austria, and also played racquetball starting
while living in New York City. His active lifestyle was matched with his active and inquisitive mind.

Alex will be remembered by his family, relatives, and friends for his sense of humor, his intellectual curiosity, his sense of loyalty, and his strength of spirit. He cared deeply for his family, friends, community, and he had a strong sense of ethics. His memory will live on in the hearts of those who loved him.

Alex, who was 88 at the time of his passing, is survived by his wife of almost fifty years, Ritva (née Visanen). He is also survived by his children Maria (Nick) Aretakis of Guilford, Kristine (Saku Nousiainen) Visanen of New York City, and Donald Ruskewich of Charleston, South Carolina, as well as his beloved grandson John Alexander Aretakis. Alex is also survived by his sister, Mary Larkin of Stamford, and niece Kyra Alexandra Larkin (Geoffrey Craig), and great-niece Alexandra Larkin Craig of London, England.

Alex's family is grateful for the nurses, doctors, and staff at Ridgecrest at Meadow Ridge. They will never forget the compassionate and excellent care that Alex received from them during the last few months of his life.

A graveside service and interment will take place on Saturday, May 17th at 10:30 am at Hillside Cemetery in Wilton. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that those wishing to express sympathy, consider making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association or in support of Ukraine.

To offer condolences please visit boutonfuneralhome.com