Ralph Edwin Church Jr. ’42

Ralph died June 5, 2007, at home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 86.

A graduate of St. Alban’s in Washington, D.C., he majored in mechanical engineering at Princeton. He was a member of Whig-Clio and Key and Seal Club.

Commissioned as an engineering officer and trained in naval architecture, he supervised submarine construction at Portsmouth (N.H.) Navy Yard during World War II. In 1943 he married Janet Richardson, but they later divorced. They had five children, Deborah, David, John, Austin, and Sara.

After the war he was commander of the American Legion Evanston Post 42.

Ralph pursued two careers with distinction — patent law and politics. After graduation from Northwestern Law School in 1948, he combined his law and engineering backgrounds in patent law and joined Neuman, Williams, Anderson & Olson. He became a partner in 1956 and retired in 1984. As a member of the Chicago Patent Law Association he made significant contributions to patent law reform.

Leading up to election as a state central committeeman, Ralph held prominent positions in Republican organizations. His dedication and experience prompted the Chicago Daily News to call him “one of the outstanding Republican leaders in the state . . .”

To Ralph’s third wife, Marion; his five children; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren, the class extends deepest condolences.