Ralph Joseph Morales
Ralph Joseph Morales
1922-2016
Ralph Joseph Morales was born in Douglas, Arizona on March 30, 1022 to Francisco and Refugio Morales, raised in Los Angeles and passed peacefully away on April 28, 2016. In spite of the Great Depression, his childhood and teen years were very happy ones; dearly watched over by his five older sisters and 3 brothers. During baseball season, you would find Ralph waiting at the player entrance to Wrigley Field in Los Angeles before the games. Why? To be first choice as bat boy for the visiting team or have fun shagging balls up in the bleachers during practice sessions.
Ralph’s high school years launched his love for music; singing in the glee club and, especially, for dancing. This was the age of the Big Bands; swing music, after school sock hops in the Manuel Arts High School gym, and double-dating on Saturday nights with brothers Art or Richard. Soon, the war years came along and exposed young Ralph to a world beyond California. He enlisted in the Army Air Corp and served his time as a staff sergeant, specializing in electrical aircraft maintenance at Allied air bases in North Africa and Italy.
Back home after the war, Ralph’s sister Louisa introduced him to beautiful Mary Carmen Ulloa and a match was made that was to last almost 68 years. Most of his life was spent in Fullerton, California where, together with Mary, they raised five children while also caring for his invalid mother-in-law. Mondays through Fridays Ralph spent working as a purchasing agent for the research and development labs at Hunt Wesson Foods. Saturdays were spent doing house chores and mowing the lawn. But, after church mass, Sundays were his fun days. Packing his big family in the station wagon, it was road trip time; locations up and down the southern California coast, exploring the sites in Los Angeles he knew as a boy, or heading up to the mountains of San Bernardino.
Retirement brought years of travel, visiting family and relatives, and mobile-home living in Huntington Beach and Hemet, and, lastly, Laguna Woods, California.
Ralph leaves behind his brother, Richard, his children, Ralph Jr., Patricia, Frank, Cecilia, and Richard, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Ralph will rest in peace next to his life-long love Mary at Riverside National Cemetery.
It was Ralph’s wish to be cremated with a simple military service attended by immediate family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (link; http://feedoc.org/).
Entrusted to the care of Cremation Society of Orange Coast (800) 678-0669
3 Comments
My dearest cousins, Ralph, Patricia, Frank, Cecilia & Richard. I was very heartbroken to hear of Uncle Ralph’s passing and of course, so close to Aunt Mary passing away but I know they are both together now. This picture is how I have always remembered my Uncle Ralph and I will also cherish the wonderful times I had when I was able to spend so many summers with all of you and Uncle Ralph would always find the time to take us every where. They were two beautiful and loving people and I was extremely fortunate to have had them in my life. My deepest condolences to each of you and they will both always be in our prayers and in our hearts.
I am truly sorry about uncle Ralph’s passing away. And still in shock. Was planning on going to visit him again in a couple of months. I still remember when I and my brother Frank visited him and Mary not long ago after so many years. We were all so happy. I think of uncle Ralph and my dad a lot. So similar in so many ways. I feel a major part of me gone. Yet, still so deep inside of me, that I know he will always be there, in my thoughts and heart, for the rest of my life. For my cousin Cecilia and cousins whom I have never met. My thoughts and prayers will also always be there. With love. Ariel
Ralph Morales was a kind man. The discussion around Uncle Ralph was always how patient, loving, engaged, and kind he was. He spoke often of Anzio and the camaraderie he felt with the soldiers who were there with him. His was a curiosity and awe in being overseas, in a new place, vastly different from the U.S. His memories of wartime, were most often felt as a crucial, heightened, and fulfilling part of his life. Margaret, Walter, Roland, Ronald, Denise, Anthony, Madeline, Luis, Edith, Bruno and I send our deepest sympathy to the Morales’ for their loss, made even more poignant in view of Aunt Mary’s recent passing.