Gee, Ralph Hamilton

1935 - 2009  (74 years)    Has 4 ancestors and 3 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Gee, Ralph Hamilton
  Born	12 Feb 1935	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Gender	Male
  Died	19 Apr 2009	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Obituary	20 Apr 2009
  Appleton Post Crescent
  Ralph Gee died last night ... surrounded and held by his family. These are final sending words for a good man. But who reads obituaries? Those who knew the man and yearn for some closure, sweet melancholy reminiscence, succor, even some reassurance; and those who never met the man. For those of you who knew Ralph, you knew him to be a man of honest generosity, a man of old-fashioned honor, a fun man with a potentially devious sense of humor, a man who loved a good argument, and a man who did right by those he loved - always. Although not a tall man, we all looked up to him. He wasn't a saint or superhero. He was just a truly good and humble man. A man who was a real-life hero to his loved ones - the kind of man you want to be like when you are in your best mind. He will be deeply and dearly missed. But, you already know that. Peace, and a toast to you, Ralph! For those of you checking to see if you are listed today, rejoice that you are not and you have time left to fully live. For those of you who have a loved one listed today as well, we wish peace to you and our solemn condolences. For those of you who read obituaries out of respect and curiosity, let us tell you a bit about Ralph so you might wish him well on his journey. Ralph grew up fatherless in Appleton - an only son with four sisters. His father died from acute appendicitis the year before sulfa drugs were discovered. His mother worked for the Appleton newspaper. After high school, he joined the Marines and was a company clerk on the island of Okinawa. Ralph married Carol Busch in 1959. Ralph loved Carol Ann Busch with all his heart, and raised three children with her - Kathy, Nancy and David. He worked his adult life selling chemicals to paper companies - a job he didn't love, but he respected work, so he did it well. At the end of his life, after Carol passed, Ralph met and married Rita, whom he enjoyed his final months with, and who lovingly stayed by his side till the end. In the end, we are our stories. Everyone has them. We use them to define ourselves, and others define us by them. One that particularly represents Ralph, though he wouldn't admit it, comes from the cottage days at Moshawquit Lake. Ralph rented a cottage that came with a small skiff. A terrible storm blew up one afternoon, and someone capsized a sailboat in the middle of the lake. There were many cottages on the lake with boats that a family of 12 could live on for a week, but Ralph was the only one who braved the storm to help the intrepid sailors. From that day forth he was teased by the family because he bumped someone's boat in the process. He never protested. Only much later, but not too late, did it occur to his children that he was the only one to go out to help. That was the way he was. He was an example for all of us that real heroism is about fiercely caring for your loved ones every day, making sacrifices and doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Ralph is survived by his wife Rita, his children, Kathleen Gee-Bennett (Steve), David (Lori) and his grandchildren Alexander and Zachary, his son-in-law Steve Nordgaard, and Rita's children Steve DeLain (Connee), Brian DeLain (Anne) and Lisa McHugh (Dan) and her grandchildren Michael, Elizabeth, Brianne, Molly, Hannah and Dillon. He is further survived by his sister Jane Milhaupt and brother-in-law Gene Costello. He was preceded in death by his first wife Carol, his daughter Nancy, and his sisters Mary, Barbara and Connie. Funeral arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, do something special with your families. A memorial fund is being established. A complete obituary will appear in the Tuesday Post-Crescent. Wichmann Funeral Home 537 N. Superior Street Appleton 920-739-1231 Online Condolences www.wichmannfargo.com
  Buried	St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
  Person ID	I124937	1FamilyTree
  Last Modified	29 Jan 2016

  
  

  Father	Gee, Ralph Archibald,   b. 18 Apr 1887, Norway, Dickinson, Michigan, USA ,   d. 16 Aug 1934, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 47 years)
  Mother	Toban, Marie "Mary",   b. 31 Mar 1900, , , Minnesota, USA ,   d. 22 Mar 1983, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 82 years)
  Family ID	F1535	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Busch, Carol Ann,   b. 11 Apr 1936, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA ,   d. 28 Feb 2007, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 70 years)
  Married	12 Sep 1959	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Children	1. Gee, Kathleen   2. Gee, David   3. Gee, Nancy Mary,   b. 20 Aug 1963, Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA ,   d. 20 Oct 2006  (Age 43 years)
  Last Modified	17 Jun 2013
  Family ID	F48491	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Load the map	Born - 12 Feb 1935 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA Married - 12 Sep 1959 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA Died - 19 Apr 2009 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA Buried - - St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set