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Ralph Freeman Agee Morro Bay, CA QCWA # 7560 Born Oct 1, 1916 |
Ralph Freeman Agee 91, born Ralph Hugh Votaw in Long Beach, California to Lillian "Irene" Freeman and Roy Votaw. He had been suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer since 2002.
After a fall at his home on Monday May 11 resulting in a broken hip, he was taken to the Hospital where they attempted to replace his hip. Due to his age and health he was not tolerating Anesthesia and surgery was halted. He passed away at approximately 7:45 am May 14, 2008.
Ralph grew up in Bakersfield, California and was raised by his maternal grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Freeman, after his mother's death in the Spanish Influenza epidemic in the 1918 and his step father, James Agee death a few years later.
He married Ruby Ellen Lowder in 1938 and were married 45 years until her death in December 1983 of Lou Gherig's Disease (ALS).
Ralph worked for the USGS under Herbert Hoover, Jr. and for the US Army during WWII as a civilian contractor repairing radar up and down the Pacific coast after President Truman rescinded his draft into the US Navy.
He retired in 1979 after working for CBS for 34 years both in Delano, California, when CBS ran the Voice of America (VOA) station there, and in Hollywood as an Electrical Engineer in the television studios. At one point he was the Vice President of the IBEW Local 45.
Ralph and Ruby built a vacation / retirement home in Morro Bay in 1962 when they found out after 25 years of marriage, at ages 46 and 40 they were expecting their third child.
Since his wife Ruby's death he enjoyed traveling in his 5th wheel RV, volunteering for both the Morro Bay Salvation Army, and the California State Training Institute (CSTI) at Camp San Luis, as well as participating in the yearly Diablo Canyon siren test as a HAM Radio Operator (W6ZEK). He has enjoyed amateur Radio since he was a teenager. He had also been a member of the San Luis Obispo Elks and Moose Lodges. Ralph was a regular attendee of many senior dance groups around the county.
Ralph is preceded in death my his wife Ruby, his daughter Leona "Margo" in 1959, at age 19 a Nursing student in Los Angeles, a baby boy in 1961, and his half brother Jack Agee of Colorado Springs, CO.
Ralph leaves behind his daughter Brenda and two grandchildren Logan and Kira-Lani, & many friends and family.