Death Announced of David Rufo, Former Co-Owner of Old Lyme’s ‘Bee & Thistle Inn’

OLD LYME — I was deeply saddened to learn of the untimely death of David Rufo, the former owner of the Bee and Thistle Inn in Old Lyme with his then wife, Linnea.

He was a wonderful, charismatic man and these words from his obituary, which was published today, sum him up beautifully: “David seemed tireless always squeezing every bit of joy out of each day. His optimism and spirited approach to his life will live on in the endless memories of those who knew him. He was equal parts decadence and simplicity, preferring quality over quantity and was always reminding us to “Keep smiling” and to “Think good things.”

Kipp Sturgeon, who sang and played for years at ‘The Bee’, shared these memories of David with us, “[He] would have me finish my musical strolling, get me a beverage and we’d sit in the parlor (later the bar) and we would talk about many things and have a good laugh together.”

Sturgeon continued, “He was a very chill guy and a good soul. He and Linnea treated me like family and I appreciated that. More often than not our chat would get interrupted by Linnea wanting me to sing to new guests that came late or to send David off to perform a chore. He would patiently get to his task after giving me the raised eyebrow and a wink. He’d much rather be sailing than tending to that old building.”

Visit this link to read the full obituary published by The Berkshire Eagle on Aug. 19, 2023.

We have published extracts from the obituary below.

David Rufo died young at 67 years old on July 23, 2023 of Alzheimers. Born on November 18, 1955, he was the third son of George Rufo, Sr., and Dorothy (Liebenow) Rufo’s five children. David was an exuberant child that grew into a very loved man with a smile as big as the sun …

In addition to his own business success, David supported his ex-wife’s (Linnea Rufo) passion project of running a Bed and Breakfast. They started with the Inn at Brookside in Stockbridge, MA. Later he purchased The Bee and Thistle Inn, in Old Lyme, CT. Always the humble “handyman”, David used his charm to create memorable experiences for his guests and customers at the Inn. He forged many long lasting and meaningful relationships both with the staff and guests …

In addition to travel, David loved practicing photography, playing boules at his CT Inn …

David fell ill with Alzheimer’s in 2020. His sickness was fast and aggressive, although he remained dignified and popular in his nursing homes.

He leaves behind his only daughter, Jessica Rufo and her husband, Michael J. Downer; three grandchildren, Esme Lamb, Tallulah Lamb and Sailor James Downer; …