Ralph Spring

RALPH SPRING

Cedar Rapids

Ralph Spring passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on Feb. 26, 2019, at his home, a memory care facility in Encinitas, Calif. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on March 23 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1790 14th St., Marion, Iowa, with visitation one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Wapello, Iowa. Arrangements by Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion.

Ralph was born Aug. 14, 1929, in Keokuk, Iowa, to Charles and Anna (Schamper) Spring. He graduated from Keokuk High School in 1947 and Parsons College in 1951. Ralph served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a second lieutenant for nine years. Professionally, Ralph enjoyed his career as a salesman and sales manager in the corrugated paper box industry, where he later retired in 1999 from Longview Fibre Co.

Ralph was a faithful lifetime member of the Catholic Church. He served his communities as a scoutmaster, booster club member, coach and Rotarian. Ralph's leisure time was spent gardening, fishing, golfing and traveling. He built two of his family homes and was a licensed pilot. In his later years, Ralph enjoyed carving small wooden prayer crosses for local parishes and hospital patients.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 36 years and mother of his children, June Spring; his parents; and siblings, Charles, James, Jean, John, Mary and Vernon. Ralph is survived by his sons, Mike (Jeri) Spring of Anchorage, Alaska, Mark (K.C.) Spring of Coronado, Calif., and Pat (Helene) Spring of Burnsville, Minn.; grandchildren, Patrick, Alli, Emma, Jake and Andrew; his second wife, Helen Burgess-Spring of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and sister, Helen Blaisdell.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you consider a memorial be directed to the Alzheimer's Association in Ralph's memory.

Please share a memory of Ralph at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under Obituaries.