Sterling Ruffin Craig
Ruffin grew up in Covington, TN, the son of J.T. and Carolyn Ruffin Craig. He graduated from Byars Hall High School and attended Southwestern College for one year then transferred to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to complete his pre-medical course. He graduated from U.T. Center for the Health Sciences with a degree in General Medicine in December 1965.
He joined the U.S. Air Force to do his internship at Wilford Hall Hospital in San Antonio, TX. It was there that he discovered the practice of Dermatology. To quote him, “the skies opened up and the birds flew and I knew that was what I wanted to do.” After serving his obligatory two years of military duty at Clark AFB, Philippines, he returned to Memphis to practice medicine for 17 months before entering his residency in Dermatology at UT. He loved it from the start and, by his last year, was moonlighting in practices in Memphis, Arkansas, and Jackson.
Ruffin’s second love was golf, and he played it well, winning tournaments and playing courses around the country. Playing with his brother-in-law in the Jackson Country Club Invitational Tournament led him to want to live in Jackson. He joined the Jackson Clinic as a Board-Certified Dermatologist on June 1, 1973.
He practiced there for 25 years before starting a solo practice at Dermatology Associates in 1998. He retired in May 2007.
Ruffin was married to Virginia (Jenny) Pentecost of Lexington, TN. They had three children, Sterling Ruffin Craig (Heather), Ginny Lee Craig Allen (Frankie) and David Scott Craig (Jennifer). His grandchildren, Sterling Craig III, Elizabeth Luella, Olivia Ann, Madeline, and Hayden.
He is also survived by his brother, Dr. James Craig (Pat) and sister, Carolyn Morrison (Ron). His two older children and grandchildren and predeceased by David Craig.
A memorial service to celebrate the life of Dr. Ruffin Craig will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 11:00 am in the Sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church with a reception following the service in Memorial Hall. Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parker’s Crossroads.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in his memory may be directed to First Presbyterian Church of Jackson or your favorite charity.
