Ralph, 93, died August 20, 2018, at his home in Anchorage, Alaska. He was born into a family of six children on March 22, 1925 in Hubbard, Oregon. "I was raised on a farm, in a sawmill, and in the Zion Mennonite Church.

Ralph was drafted into Civilian Public Service in October 1943 and headed to a camp in Lapine, OR. In 1945 he joined the CPS-103 smokejumper group training at Nine Mile and being assigned to McCall where he made seven fire jumps during a busy season. "My short tenure in smokejumping was one of the highlights of my life. This experience did much to mold my entire life."

After the war, Ralph had a successful career in logging before moving to Palmer, Alaska to work in a Children's Home.

He pastored churches in North Pole, Sitka and Anchorage from 1959-84. Ralph served as an elected official in the denominations Alaska District Office from 1984 until retirement in 1996.