The Rev. James Ruggiero, 74, who left a career in supermarket management to become a Catholic priest, died Tuesday of cancer.

"He brought a businessman's perspective to his pastoral work, in that he was highly organized. But at the same time he was very compassionate and down to earth in dealing with people," said the Rev. Frank Almade, pastor of St. Juan Diego parish, Sharpsburg, who had worked with him on matters related to Catholic Charities. Father Ruggiero was the social service agency's interim executive director in 2005-06.

He grew up in Turtle Creek and worked as a clerk at a Kroger grocery store while attending Central Catholic High School. He felt a call to the priesthood at that time "but I seemed to get cold feet," he told The Pittsburgh Press in 1977.

The Army took him to San Francisco. There he enjoyed performing with a barbershop quartet called the Mirthquakes and considered becoming an actor. Instead he returned to Pittsburgh and became co-manager of two Kroger stores in Beaver County.

But the call to priesthood never left, and he finally gave in. He was 35 at his 1970 ordination.

After five years at St. Sylvester, Brentwood, he went to St. Peter, McKeesport. There he was also executive director of the Auberle Home for troubled teenage boys. His first pastorate was at St. Philip Neri in Donora, followed by St. Basil in Carrick.

He undertook renovations at both parishes, seeking to transform a utilitarian worship space in Donora into a place that drew people's hearts to God. He wanted church buildings to convey God's presence, especially at Christmas, when he filled the worship space with decorated trees.

"Christmas was a great joy to him," said his sister-in-law, Felicity Ruggiero, of Bethany, W.Va. "He believed that his churches should be beautiful, and I think the parishes all responded."

He kept up his love for the theater, often attending the Civic Light Opera and other productions in Pittsburgh, she said.

"He was a well-balanced person, a good priest who enjoyed a lot of the regular things in life. He had a good circle of friends, and he kept them forever," she said.

He gained the respect of his bishops and brother priests, serving in many important diocesan posts, including the board of Catholic Charities, the Priests Council, the College of Consultors, the clergy personnel board and the priesthood candidate admissions board. From 1992 to 1997, when he was pastor of St. Bartholomew in Penn Hills, parishioners said he had brought healing to a divided parish, according to a Post-Gazette story that ran when he left.

Then-Bishop Donald Wuerl had tapped him to become secretary for clergy and religious, one of the most difficult and sensitive jobs in diocesan administration. The clergy office advises the bishop on priests' assignments, responds to complaints about priests and helps priests with personal problems. Early in his tenure he spent two months as an interim at St. Mary in Hampton, whose pastor had confessed to embezzling $1.3 million.

He returned to the pastorate in 2001 at St. Teresa of Avila, Perrysville. The Rev. Robert Vular, who had just been ordained, started there the same day.

"He took me under his wing and taught me a lot," said Father Vular, who is now pastor of St. Teresa. Father Ruggiero warned the new priest against ever playing favorites.

"He said that everyone has to be treated fairly, and everyone has to be treated alike," he said.

Father Ruggiero worked long hours. "He was truly a servant leader," Father Vular said.

In 2005, he went into semi-retirement, filling in where priests were ill or away. But just a few months later Bishop Wuerl asked him to become interim director of Catholic Charities, whose executive director had retired in the midst of preparations to start a free health clinic.

He was simultaneously serving two parishes, commuting in and out of Downtown each day during peak traffic, yet he never complained, said Susan Rauscher, executive director of Catholic Charities, who worked with him then.

"Frequently he would show up with doughnuts for the staff, even though he couldn't eat them because of the diet he was on," she said. "He was focused on making sure that the clients' days were made better because they came in touch with another human being who cared about them. But he was equally concerned about the staff."

He retired for good in October 2006.

Years ago a reporter asked if he regretted giving up his business career for the priesthood.

"The more I get involved, the more I feel I made the right choice," he said.

Father Ruggiero is survived by a brother, Richard, of Bethany, W.Va.

Visitation is today from 2 to 4 p.m. at T.B. Devlin Funeral Home, Ross. There will be a Mass of Translation tonight at 7 as the body is moved to St. Teresa of Avila parish, where viewing will resume until 9 a.m. Visitation continues Friday at 9 a.m. until Mass at 11 a.m. in St. Teresa of Avila.

Contributions may be made to the Auberle Home, 1101 Hartman St., McKeesport, PA 15132, or to Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh.

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