Born in Hawkeye, IA to Walter and Elsie (Timm). He is preceded in death by his parents and six siblings, his beloved wife Mary Fern (Foot) and their daughter Connie (Reed). Ralph is survived by his granddaughter Jessica Reed Karcher (Donnie), son-in-law Daniel Reed and numerous nieces and nephews in the Midwest.

Ralph and Mary met as kids in Hawkeye, IA. They started dating in high school and were married in 1949 as Ralph joined the Navy. They were married for 71 years before Mary Fern passed away in 2021.

In 1951 their daughter Connie was born. The three of them traveled the country and world with the Navy. Ralph specialized in aviation electronics, receiving three bronze stars for service in Vietnam and one bronze star from the National Defense. He retired as a lieutenant after 27 years and 1 day.

In retired life, Ralph and Fern resided in the Tampa/Odessa area to be close to their family. They were both well known for their service as leaders of the Volunteer Headquarters at the Verizon Classic & Outback Pro AM golf tournaments. Ralph loved flying (private pilot), golfing, traveling, the Florida Gators and spending time with his family. He was a permanent fixture on the golf course at the Silver Dollar for almost 39 years.

Ralph was the best of the best and will be missed tremendously. A Celebration of Life for all friends and family will be held on June 6th. For more details and to RSVP please visit https://invite.social.granneman