He was born on January 20, 1938, in Arcanum, Ohio, to the late Lowell E. and Lenna C. (Johnston) Brown.
Ralph is survived by his wife of 60 years, Martha Joan (Morris) Brown, whom he married on February 27, 1960; his children, Terri Brown Lenzo of Findlay, Ohio, and Greg Brown of Ludlow Falls, Ohio; his grandchildren, Greg and Alex Lenzo, and Blake, Brent, and Brooke Brown; his great grandchildren, Kayden and Natalie Brown; and his brother, Kent Brown and his wife Pam, of Ithaca, Ohio.
Ralph had many interest and hobbies. He was a ham radio operator for over 70 years. He competed in many contests over the years using the call sign W8WPC. He looked forward to attending the Dayton Hamfest every year. He was also a pilot flying his Cessna Skylane 182 out of the Darke County Airport. in 1973, he and his wife Joan founded Abbottsville Monuments. Together they operated the business until 2013 when the torch was passed to their son. Ralph's idea of relaxing was sitting on a boat for hours on end fishing. He took part in many fishing trips to Canada or Florida. He and Joan would see who could catch the most Walleye. Joan bested him many times.
Ralph's family will be receiving guests on Friday, July 3, 2020, from 1:00 PM until the time of the service at 2:00 PM. A funeral service will follow at 2:00 PM, at Tribute Funeral Homes, Greenville Campus, with Pastor William Baker officiating. A Celebration of Ralph's life will be held and announced at a later date.
Due to the COVID19 pandemic, Ralph's family requests all guests wear facial coverings and follow social distancing guidelines. Masks will be provided if needed.
Memorial contributions may be made to either Faith Baptist Church, 740 Russ Road, Greenville, Ohio 45331 or Alzheimer's Association, Miami Valley, 31 W Whipp Rd, Dayton, OH 45459 or by visiting https://act.alz.org/donate.
Online condolences and Hugs-From-Home may be shared with Ralph's family by visiting www.tributefuneralhomes.com.