Ralph T. Booth, 59, of St. Petersburg, FL died at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center, Bay Pines, FL on March 19, 2009 after a courageous battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, April 10, 2009 at the Bay Pines National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd., Bay Pines, FL 33744with VFW Post # 9272, to officiate. A native of McKees Rocks, PA and a local St. Petersburg, FL resident, Ralph was a Catholic, self employed in the recycling business and a US Navy Veteran of the Vietnam War. Ralph enjoyed traveling, skiing and watching sports. He was a huge Steelers and Rays fan.
During the Vietnam War, Ralph served in the US Navy aboard the aircraft carriers, USS Constellation and USS Forrestal as an Ordnance Mechanic and was awarded a National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal (Vietnam- 3 Stars); Vietnam Campaign Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea-2 Stars);Meritorious Unit Commendation and a Good Conduct Award. Preceded in death by his parents, Ralph J. and Katherine E. (Kestler) Booth; Ralph is survived by his loving family: his sons: Sean Booth and his wife, Alicia of Largo, FL; Justin Booth of Largo, FL; a daughter, Carrie Temple and her husband, Nathan of Dixon, CA; two sisters: Martha Moore and her husband, Nicholas of Oakdale, PA and Nancy Anderson and her husband, Richard of Daytona Beach, FL; two grandchildren: Annabelle and Wyatt Booth; his companion, Anita Mathews of St. Petersburg, FL and his former wife and mother of his children, Carol Booth of Largo, FL.
The family requests, that in Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ralph’s memory to the Fisher House Foundation, 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420, Rockville, MD 20850. You may also call the Fisher House Foundation at 888-294-8560 or donate on line at www.fisherhouse.org. A Fisher House is “a home away from home” for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.
Veterans Funeral Care
1-800-467-7850
To my father first and formost. I Love You! He was a great man that would do anything for anyone. To his friends and relatives he wants the best for all of you. He said once even on a rainy day to be happy. So let it be.
Anita, Carrie and Nathan, Sean and Alicia, Justin and Carol,
May the memories you have of your loved one, Ralph help you through this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Ralph was the kind of person who ate life. He was a joy to be around, always humorous, and I never heard him say anything bad about another person. He will be sorely missed, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.
I met Ralph several times through Anita, whom he loved, and she adored him. The respect they shared was evident in the way they spoke of each other. I knew Ralph to be fun loving and thoughtful of those around him. I know he will be greatly missed.
When we think of Ralph, the first words that come to mind are kind and considerate. Because Anita is one of our oldest and dearest friends, we had the honor of considering Ralph in this way too. His sense of humor and the stories of our shared adventures still make us laugh. We will miss him greatly.
Ralph and Anita were part of our “Bucs Bunch” group. We met on Sundays during the football season and enjoyed ourselves beyond description. Ralph’s warmth, wit, charm and knowledge of so many things made him a joy to be with. We will never forget him as we continue our Bucs Bunch Sunday meetings. May God bless and keep his soul.
HE WAS TRYING TO PUSH A
BROKEN DOWN CAR A FEW WEEKS
BEFORE HIS PASSING. THAT WAS
A HINT TO ME WHAT KIND OF MAN HE WAS.
I will miss Ralph immensely. He was a wonderful neighbor and friend who was always willing to help. His enthusiasm was infectious. His improvements to my home and yard will be a constant reminder to me of his spirit.
Ralph and Anita had dinner at our home with other friends a couple years ago. Within minutes I knew Ralph was a man after my own heart and I liked him immensely. I wish we could have known each other better. Fair winds and following seas from a fellow military veteran.
In our circle of friends, Ralph was called King Ralph. He came to halloween dress as a king, King Ralph.On my 40th birthday he was Queen Ralph, wig, coconuts, grass skirt, makeup and a big belly, yes he was sexy and even did a hula dance.Ralph was always the vigilante backseat driver with sound effects. It didn’t matter what kind of car it was, if Ralph was in it, it had air brakes, pisss pisss pisss his way of telling you to hit the brakes. Ralph was green before green was cool, if you needed help he would say I’ll be right there, I lived in Orlando and he would.Once we were sking and Ralph was a green skier at best. We skied several of the easy slopes and he knew I was bored, so he skies over to a triple black diamond and said lets do this one. I said no way, he said no problem lets do it. I skied down and turn around to watch him, all I saw was skies, poles, and snow flying everywhere, he crashed and burned all the way down thw mountain. Ralph finally made it down, out of breath, panting, soaking wet with sweat, covered in snow and said to me lets do it again. That’s the kind of guy he is. Long live the King.
In our circle of friends, Ralph was called King Ralph. He came to halloween dress as a king, King Ralph.On my 40th birthday he was Queen Ralph, wig, coconuts, grass skirt, makeup and a big belly, yes he was sexy and even did a hula dance.Ralph was always the vigilante backseat driver with sound effects. It didn’t matter what kind of car it was, if Ralph was in it, it had air brakes, pisss pisss pisss his way of telling you to hit the brakes. Ralph was green before green was cool, if you needed help he would say I’ll be right there, I lived in Orlando and he would.Once we were sking and Ralph was a green skier at best. We skied several of the easy slopes and he knew I was bored, so he skies over to a triple black diamond and said lets do this one. I said no way, he said no problem lets do it. I skied down and turn around to watch him, all I saw was skies, poles, and snow flying everywhere, he crashed and burned all the way down thw mountain. Ralph finally made it down, out of breath, panting, soaking wet with sweat, covered in snow and said to me lets do it again. That’s the kind of guy he is. Long live the King.
Justin – my thoughts and prayers are with you and your mom. I never had the pleasure of meeting your dad but I know you were close and I can only imagine your heartache. My condolences to all your family. May God give you strength to get through this very difficult time. I love you like a son Justin – hang in there honey. Love, Gerilyn
I met Ralph at school in 1975. We became fast friends, both being from the Pittsburgh area, and huge Steeler fans.He was a very likeable guy, with a great attitude on life, and extremely smart. I was envious he never had to study for tests. We remained friends over the years. Last August, I was in Tampa for low back surgery, and Ralph came and took care of me, even though he was very sick. He was a really good guy. I will miss you my friend. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Ralph will surely be missed. He was genuinely concerned, always asking about you and your family. He never failed to put a smile on the faces around him. Ralph was a very generous person and was always the first to reach into his pocket and throw down another $5 to cover the bill if it was short. I would also have to say he was one of the most intelligent people I knew. Unfortunately my job has taken me far away and I haven’t been recently able to spend as much time with Ralph and Anita as I would have liked. I’m sure he is entertaining everyone in Heaven as he did here on Earth.
God Bless You Ralph
Grandpa Booth, I love you very much!
We met Ralph thru Anita, who we are long time friends with. We always looked forward to our annual Christmas dinner where Ralph would keep us in stitches with his stories and he was so thoughtful to always bring some Christmas chocolates for our daughters. We will miss him.
In loving memory, we share your loss. Ralph will be missed by many we are glad to have had him touch our lives.
Smitty and Judi Coachman
Orlando Florida
I went to high school with Ralph. I was so sad when I heard of his death, today. He was back home, to McKees Rocks, for our 40th class reunion. It was so wonderful to see him again. We were good friends in high school. We only met in our senior year, but we became good friends. He was bright and so kind. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family. Carol, it has been many years since we have seen one another. My thoughts are with you, also. We had such fun at that reunion. I will always remember Ralph dancing and having a good time. We closed the place around 2:00AM. He gave me a big hug and told me he would see me at the next reunion. How sad it is that we won’t have that reunion. My husband Dave and I, and all his friends, in McKees Rocks, will keep him in our thoughts and prayers. Rest in peace old friend.
We will miss Ralph alot and we will keep him and the family in our prayers.
Love,
Donna and Mickey Farrand
ralphie my beloved brother you have left us to go to a better place of peace and free of pain but you have left me with the fondest of memories i will always cherish till we meet again LUCI your loving sister marthie.
My thoughts and prayers go out to you Sean, Justin and Carolyn. I know the loss I am feeling is very great and I can imagine what it must be for you to have lost such a loving and caring father. My sincerest condolences also go out to Anita and Ralph’s family in their loss. My first introduction to Ralph was as a student, and I also had the honor of knowing him as a peer, manager and most of all as a true friend. He was always there when help was needed and had such a good heart. I will sadly miss Ralph, but I will never forget him.
Ralph was an interesting individual. His interests ranged from junk to anatomy. Even though I knew him for only a few years he will always remain in my thoughts. My sympathies to Anita and his children. He was quite a guy.
Carol, I know we haven’t been in contact since high school but when I read of Ralph’s death I just wanted to let you know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Time goes by so quickly that it hardly seems possible high school was over 40 plus years ago. Know that neither you nor Ralph are forgotten and will always be fondly remembered.
Ralph. What a guy, eh?
I only knew Ralph for a relatively short while in the late 90’s. A hard worker, a generous guy with a huge heart, and a character. I know he would do anything for anyone because I saw him do it. He left his mark on me, as with so many. For those friends and family that knew him for so much longer, you were the lucky ones.
People like Ralph never really leave.
Ralph and I were best friends since first grade at McKee School. The wonderful memories we shared during our lifetime are just too numerous to mention. Luci was one of the best friends a person could have, always positive, always looking for the best in people. He loved life. During his last visit to “the Rocks” we spent a lot of time together reminiscing about our childhood days in school. We had some great times. Ralph is going to be deeply missed, I thought of him often. My condolences go out to Carrie, Sean, Justin, Carol and Anita. I’m so sorry. Rest in peace buddy.
I worked with Ralph at Segal Institute then EduTech Centers for many years. He was a beloved instructor who had a positive influence on the students who were fortunate to have been in his classes. He spoke often of Anita, the kids, the Steelers, skiing and planning for the next adventure. Ralph lived life to the fullest. I will remember him as the guy who always had the jumper cables ready for the students who left their lights on; as the man who wouldn’t let an evening student walk to their car alone; as the sensitive man who always came to the rescue–there were no strangers to Ralph Booth. I will miss him terribly. My sincerest condolences.
Ralph was my beloved friend for 42 years and I am heart broken by his passing. At 17 I met Ralph and Andy who were best friends from grade school. Ralph and I became good friends quickly and shared many a late night talks on the week-ends, before he joined the Navy. After a few years passed,I married his best friend,Andy and he married my best friend, Carol.Whenever he came to Pitsburgh or my family went to Florida, Ralph always took time to visit us. He was a true loving friend, intelligent,fun, caring and so brave. Every 5 years he came home for our High School Class Reunion and in September of 2007 Ralph came home for his last Class Reunion with all his old firends. During his week home Ralph drove all over McKee’s Rocks looking up old friends and neighbors of his parents and spent time with each one. He had alot of fun with his sister, Martha, he gathered with friends at a local bar to watch a Steeler game,he had a few Italian dinners with his favorite foods at my house, and helped me decorate the hall the night before the class reunion. He also was determined to fine 2 classmates from High School that lived their life every day in a McKees Rocks bar. He was so excited when he found each one and was able to buy them a beer and spend time talking tothem. I just didn’t understand his drive to find those men. But I think I understand now! He truly seen everyone he wanted to see that week and he did everything he wanted to do. I feel greatful for the time we had together that week and for all the fun we had at our last Class Reunion together. The laughter,the dancing and the reminiscing all night long will stay with me forever. He will be greatly missed. My deepest Sympathy goes out to his former wife Carol, his children, Carrie, Justin and Shawn, his sisters, Martha and Nancy, and his last love Anita.I’m so grateful to have spent time with Ralph and Anita through the years and I’d like to express my sorry for not being able to come to Ralphs memorial next week. With all my heart I wish I could be there. Rest in Peace my dear friend, Ralph.
Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to all who knew and loved Ralph.If you did not know him, you missed a rare oportunity of unconditional, compassionate, friendship. He was a special kind of person who never met a stranger, always willing to give of himself and ask nothing in return, only for you to do the same for someone else. Ralph would want us not to mourne his passing but to celebrate his life and all he loved in it. Our lives are richer, our hearts are warmer, our self esteem greater and our egoes more humble because we knew Ralph Booth. On the other hand, you could never win an augument with him because of his dogmatic logic! Our only regret is we didn’t know him long enough. Long live King Ralph.
Having worked closely with Ralph for almost ten years I had a real sense of the genuine person and man that he was. Many time I saw him go above and beyond to ensure his fellow workers and neighbor received the help they required…he was there for those that needed a loan, a tire changed or just a friend to talk with. Ralph was ALWAYS someone I could count on. I will always consider him a good friend that will be truly missed.
Dear Brother my fondest memory was taking your penny loafers over to MR. KENNY’S SHOE SHINE SHOP look out MR.KENNY he’s coming for a shoe shine.May you rest in peace Love your sister Nance.
Dear Brother my fondest memory was taking your penny loafers over to MR. KENNY’S SHOE SHINE SHOP look out MR.KENNY he’s coming for a shoe shine.May you rest in peace Love your sister Nance.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad. We love and miss you every day. XOXOXO
Brother it”s your first Christmas in heaven I see countless Christmas trees around the world below with tiny lights like heavens stars reflecting on the snow the sight is so spectacular please wipe away that tear for I”am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear but the sounds of music can”t compare with the Christmas choir up here I have no words to tell you the joy their viices bring for it”s beyond description to hear the angels sing I know how much you miss me I see the pain inside your heart but I”am not far away we really aren”t apart I can”t tell you of the splender or the peace here in this place can you just imagine Christmas with our savior face to face so be happy for me dear ones you know I hold you dear and be glad I”m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year I send you each a special gift from my heavenly home above I send you each a memory of my undying love after all “Love” is the gift more precious than pure gold it was always most important in the stories Jesus told Please love and keep each other as my Father said to do for I can”t count the blessings or Love he has for each of you so have a “Merry Christmas” and wipe away that tear “Remember I”m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year”Love Marthie may the Angels allways keep you safe.
DAd. its been a year now since you left. you are still our thoughts everyday. every time i teach my children that air brakes are the best even when not in anything larger than a golfcart, or when i remind them that when they jump on my furniture that they are only living up to my fathers expectations (” when you have kids i hope they jump on every piece of furniture you have” dad said after i was caught jumping on his bed. or after i broke his recliner.or both)i try to convey everything that you ever taught me to these little munchkins just so they will grow up strong and smart just as you wanted us to do. i have a very large place in my heart for everything you have ever done for me. i can only hope that i live up to the great dadfatherman that you wereare. may god bless you. until we see each other again i love you more than you could ever imagine. i hope you were proud of all of us,of MOST of the things we did when you were here to see them. love you always.know that you are in my thoughts and my mind every day until i see you again. love from all of us with warmth, hugs and kisses.
I’m still thinking about you everyday dad! Sean is with you know and I hope you guys are Junking for Jesus! It’s been 9 and 1/2 years and it still feels like just yesterday to me. Sean has been with you for almost 2 years now and I feel lost without my 2 rocks. I love you both dearly and miss you guys so much it pains me in ways that I’ve never felt. Words can not do justice to my feelings. I wish you could have met your grand daughter Aubrey that we had. She is 3 and 1/2 now and wants to know about you. She is as intelligent as you if not more at her age dad. She shares our humor and smarts to boot. Man I just want to go to another Rays game with you and Sean. This hurts. I will always love you! May you both rest in peace.
Justin (Just) Booth