Ralph Woll
Ralph Woll

Obituary of Ralph Edward Woll

Ralph Edward Woll born September 25, 1940, passed away August 11, 2006 in Seattle. Please click on the link below to view video tribute: http://videos.lifetributes.com/?id=4594 Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 28 years, Shirley of Ridgefield, WA; and his extended family; son, Brian Taylor of Arlington, WA; 3 daughters, Jaci (Gary) Guenther of Woodinville, WA, Donna Woll of North Bend, WA, Diana (Collin) Fletcher of Puyallup, WA; grandchildren, Dylan, Catrina, Ashley, Chris, Katie, Constance, Grant and Grace; and great-grandson Lincoln. He was preceded in death by his parents Andreas and Norma Woll. Born in Seattle, he graduated from Franklin High School in 1958 and studied Fisheries Sciences at the University of Washington and was a Navy Air Reservist Navigator on a P2V squadron. Ralph worked in the baking industry for 31 years, and with his strong work ethic and integrity, he rose through the ranks at Continental Baking Company from route driver to General Manager of the largest bakery in the United States in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Throughout his career, he managed commercial bakeries in WA, AK, PA, NJ, and OR. He retired in 2000 after a very successful career. Ralph lived life to its fullest and his non stop energy was admired by everyone who met him. A man of many interests and talents, his hobbies including working on cars, especially his beloved Corvette; renovating houses; and working on his property, including the design and construction of a forty-three foot totem pole (which Ralph said was the only Native American/Norwegian totem pole in the world!). He was equally adept at discussing management techniques and stock market performance as he was car mechanics and landscaping. He never lost his love for Corvettes and enjoyed cruising with the top down and Elvis turned up while fudging the speed limit by at least 10 MPH. Most of all Ralph cherished time spent with family and friends. He was a loving, fun and generous father, husband & friend. Ralph created his dream retirement home with his grandchildren in mind. He loved watching them play on the property and swim and fish in the pond he designed. His apple orchard and garden, including the famous pumpkin patch, were the talk of the town. He loved to entertain family and friends. Famous for his Swedish pancakes and love of Norwegian cuisine, “Papa” never missed an opportunity to share the culinary joys of lutefisk and pickled herring with his grandchildren. Ralph delighted in dressing up as Santa Claus for the young grandkids at Christmas. Holiday family traditions were very important to him; the 400 pound pumpkins he grew for the kids at Halloween; Easter egg hunts; making Lefse during the Holidays; dressing as Santa Claus at Christmas to pass out Norwegian chocolates; and the Summer Family Picnic he and Shirley organized and hosted each year were events not be missed. Ralph and Shirley grew up in the same Seattle-area neighborhood, where Ralph was the paperboy for Shirley’s family. Although their lives took them in different directions as young adults, they were reacquainted later in life and their childhood affection led to their marriage on January 6, 1979, resulting in 28 years of love and laughter. Ralph and Shirley had many adventures together and loved to travel, where they made many lifelong friends along the way. Favorite memories include the infamous car trip to Fairbanks, AK in the dead of winter, touring Amish country in PA, and many nights on the town in New York City while the family lived in New Jersey. Proud of his Norwegian heritage, a cherished memory of Ralph’s was traveling back to his family property in Norway in 1994. A special thanks to Dr. Saul Rivkin and the staff at Swedish Hospital for their compassionate care & support. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Marsha Rivkin Cancer Research Fund, Swedish Cancer Institute, 1221 Madison St. , Seattle, WA 98104. Service to be held 1:00 PM Thursday, August 17, 2006 at Washington Memorial Park Chapel, 16445 International Blvd. SeaTac, WA 98188. Arrangements by Edwards Memorial Center 253-566-1008
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