Bobbie Neil Ruckman was born in Hydro, Oklahoma on November 11, 1930 to Otis Garfield and Della Mae (Weathers) Ruckman. He passed away in Oscoda, Michigan on November 20, 2025 at the age of 95.

Bobbie grew up in western Oklahoma in the Hydro and Weatherford areas and attended school in Hydro. He spent his time helping family work on the farm and after high school, briefly attended Southwestern State College in Weatherford for Agriculture. But Bobbie had a different calling, as a young teenager he recalled seeing airplanes overhead and this began his lifelong love for flying.

Bobbie joined the United States Air Force and was stationed in Oscoda, Michigan at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. It was here that he met Deanna Elizabeth Souci and they married in March 1956. The couple made their home in Michigan and welcomed their daughter, Lori. The young family traveled to Japan with the Air Force and welcomed two more children, Karen and Stephen. After returning to the United States, they were stationed in Washington state and later in Texas where their 4th child, Christopher, was born. The family later moved to Oklahoma and lived at Tinker Air Force Base.

Bobbie started his military career as a non-commissioned officer (NCO). He was Air Police, responsible for military law enforcement and ground defense of U.S. Air Force bases. He later took the required assessments to become an officer and a fighter pilot. These accomplishments deemed him a "Mustang", a term for US service members that start as NCO and become officers. Bobbie had an impressive career with the USAF and his children affectionately called him "The World's Best Fighter Pilot". He spent six months in southeast Asia in 1964 and was in Vietnam from 1968-1970. Over the years, he flew the F-102 Deuce, F-86 Sabre, F-4 Phantom and F-89 Scorpion. The F-86 Sabre was notably his favorite aircraft. The skillful pilot had the same amount of successful landings as he did take offs, never crashing or being shot down.

Bobbie retired as Lieutenant Colonel after 21 years, 7 months and 21 days in the USAF. Military retirement did not mean he quit working. He began a second career with the government investigating plane crashes and went on to do this for the next 20 years.

After a second retirement, Bobbie moved to Oklahoma. He enjoyed living on his 5 acres, mowing and planting and growing his own food. Bobbie loved to tinker on old farm equipment he bought at auction. He was resourceful and enjoyed working on and fixing engines.

Bobbie was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Cecil Ruckman, Vivian McDougle, and Vonda McPherson. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife of 69 years and their four children - daughter and her family, Lori Asay and husband Kevin, their son, Will Denam and wife, Gloria, and their children, Liam, Tristan, and Mia Denam, their daughter, Amy Jeppsen and husband, Matt, and their children, Chloe, Porter, Cooper, and Ava Jeppsen; daughter Karen Ruckman; son, Stephen Ruckman and wife, Ximena; and son and his family, Christopher Ruckman and wife, Holli and their children, Bradley and Jaxen Ruckman.

A graveside service and military rites for Bobbie will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford, Oklahoma.