Roberts, Ralph R.

Ralph R. Roberts passed away March 28, 2013, at Mercy Hospice in Iowa City. A Celebration of Life service is scheduled from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City, with a send off at George's Buffet following.

Memorials may be directed to Mercy Hospice, Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, or KCCK Radio.

Ralph was born in Hummelstown, Pa., on Oct. 27, 1926, the oldest child of Ralph Sr. and Sara Roberts, loving brother to Glenn and Gerilyn (“Sis”). He served as a junior volunteer firefighter for Hummelstown, earned a life guard/life saving certification, worked briefly at the Hershey Chocolate Factory, and was well regarded in his community.

Ralph enlisted and proudly served our country in the United States Air Force from 1944-1945. After his honorable discharge, he utilized the G I Bill to pursue higher education, with studies at Hershey Junior College, Lebanon Valley College, University of Missouri at Columbia and Southern Illinois University.

On Aug. 11, 1956, he married Rosita F. “Zee” Borroni in Hershey, Pa. In the years that followed they moved to St. Louis, Mo., then to Murphysboro and Carbondale, Ill., where Ralph pursued his doctoral work at Southern Illinois University. There his daughters, Lori Ann was born in 1960 and Beth Ellen in 1962. The family spent a brief time in Pittsburgh, Pa., before settling in Iowa City, Iowa in 1968.

Ralph dedicated his talents to building a strong Department of Rehabilitation and Counselor Education, offering guidance and friendship to his students and taking pride in shaping future counseling professionals. He also made contributions to various National Rehabilitation Counseling Associations with his research and education programs. Ralph retired in 1991 as professor emeritus.

For those who knew Ralph best, he was a genuine “salt of the earth” guy. He was upbeat, opinionated and very social. Any gathering of friends or family was an occasion for a party. You may have had an opportunity to enjoy his favorite jazz music with him, or gathered around the piano or the ukulele for a rousing sing-a-long of standard favorites. Maybe you benefited from his bounty of garden fresh tomatoes, always a summer tradition. Perhaps you swapped stories over a friendly game of poker, cheered on the Hawkeyes, or found him a challenging opponent on the tennis court. You may have been his guest for the weekend at his cabin on Turtle Island in the Mississippi River, a place he loved to spend time. Likely you relaxed and drank more than you did any serious work.

For Ralph, the author Mark Twain was a kindred spirit, whose prose on the river and philosophies on life greatly influenced him.

Ralph is survived by his daughter, Beth Gauger, and her husband, Mark, of Iowa City; and his sister, Gerilyn of Hummelstown. He is also survived by many nephews and nieces in Lititz and Hershey, Pa., and the surrounding communities.

Ralph was preceded in death by his wife, Rosita; his daughter, Lori; his parents and his brother.

Interment will be at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City at a later date.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.

Published April 8, 2013 in The Gazette