Elwyn Fred Ralph

On Tuesday, August 10, 2021, our dear father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and great grandfather, Elwyn Fred Ralph, was taken home to heaven, being reunited with his beloved wife, Janet, and many other loved ones who preceded him in death.

Elwyn Fred Ralph was born on May 26, 1931, in Murray, Utah to Marva Norton and Horace Fred Ralph, the third of seven children. During his growing up years in Ogden, Elwyn was taught the value of hard work by his parents. He helped with household chores, worked in the garden and orchard, delivered newspapers, and helped run the family egg business. Besides work, Elwyn participated in many activities, including scouting, MIA, and seminary. His hobbies included photography, tying fishing flies, and spending time in his father’s workshop, where he used the lathe, jigsaw, and other tools to make beautiful items, many of which became gifts for family and friends.

Elwyn’s parents also taught him the importance of an education. Elwyn graduated from Odgen High School in 1949. He later attended Weber College, the University of Utah, and Brigham Young University. On June 12, 1958, Elwyn graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine.

Elwyn enjoyed music and was a talented pianist and organist. He started piano lessons at age eight. A few years later, he began playing the piano for priesthood and other church meetings. In high school, he took organ lessons and gave organ recitals. He was a dedicated student, leaving the house on most mornings by 5 am to practice the organ at a nearby chapel before school.

Elwyn loved pianos and organs and taught himself how to tune, repair, and restore them. As a youth, Elwyn took home an old, discarded reed pump organ. He dismantled and cleaned it, reassembled it, and enjoyed playing it. Later, he gave it to a seminary. This was just the beginning. Later in life, Elwyn purchased many old pianos and with meticulous craftsmanship, restored them to their original beauty. Some of these pianos later became gifts to his children. He also repaired and restored organs.

Elwyn served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern States Mission from 1950 to 1952. While in Arlington, VA, he participated in a missionary chorus, both as a singer and as an accompanist. A highlight of the chorus was a performance at the Hill Cumorah Pageant with President David O. McKay in attendance.

Prior to his mission, Elwyn had been dating Janet Gardner. He and Janet first met at a church dance when they were teenagers. She later invited him to a girls-choice dance, and they soon began seeing each other on a regular basis. When delivering eggs, Elwyn would save the Gardner’s house to the end of his route so he could stay and visit with Janet. Of that time, Elwyn wrote, “…we enjoyed many happy hours together at various school and church functions. Frequent dates and visits led into a lovely courtship and eventual marriage.” After his mission, Elwyn proposed to Janet on February 14, 1953. They were married on September 11th of that year in the Logan Utah Temple and enjoyed 67 years of marriage together.

Given his love of music, Elwyn considered a career as an organist or music teacher, but ultimately, he chose dentistry to better support his family. Dentistry also combined many of his aptitudes and interests into a meaningful career. While he maintained a private practice for two brief periods early on, he and Janet ultimately decided that he would work as a dentist for the Veterans Administration. This provided steady income and regular hours, allowing him to maintain the family life he and Janet desired.

During his senior year of dental school, Elwyn joined the U.S Air Force Reserve. Upon graduation in 1958, he received orders for active duty at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, where they lived for about two years. He worked as a dentist on base and served as a First Lieutenant and later as a Captain. After his military service, Elwyn’s dental career took his family back to Utah, then to California, Idaho, and later to Washington State where Elwyn worked for many years as a dentist at the VA Hospital in Walla Walla. He concluded his career in California, working primarily in Martinez but also briefly in Sacramento, before retiring in 1993 and moving to Centerville, Utah.

Family was very important to Elwyn. He loved and honored his parents, siblings, and extended family and stayed in close contact with family members throughout his life. He also loved his ancestors and often shared their stories with his children and grandchildren. While in dental school in Portland, Elwyn and Janet welcomed the first three of their children. But sorrow came early in their marriage when their second child, David, passed away of pneumonia on March 20, 1957, at eight months old. Six additional children joined their family for a total of nine children, three sons and six daughters. As a father, Elwyn was patient, gentle, and respectful. He led his family in daily family prayer and scripture study, and weekly family home evenings. He was also very involved in his children’s lives, guiding and influencing them along the gospel path.

Elwyn was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved the Lord, Jesus Christ, and His gospel. He taught his family the gospel and frequently shared his testimony with them. He served in many church callings, often music related, but also in other callings, including a counselor in two bishoprics and a member of a stake high council. Elwyn and Janet served together on three missions: Washington D.C. Temple, Switzerland Geneva, and Africa Ivory Coast. Of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, 21 have served missions, two are currently serving, and one has received his call.

Elwyn was preceded in death by his wife, Janet Ralph, his sister, Margaret Ralph, his son, David Ralph, his mother, Marva Ralph, his father, Horace Ralph, his sister, Adele Humpherys, his granddaughter, Heidi Wright, his great grandson, Nathaniel Christiansen, his son in-law, Scott Trump, and his grandson-in-law, Shane Cox.

Elwyn is survived by his brother, Lowell Ralph (Ellen), his sisters Marian Tesch (Lynn), Judy Anderson (Terry-deceased), Elaine Hansen (Lamar), and his children Janelle Black (Ken), Melvin Ralph (Bonnie), Michael Ralph (Kim), Carolyn Beutler (Ken), Linda Dowding (Paul), Elizabeth Thompson (Dwight), Susan Trump (Scott-deceased), and Alice-Marie Paxton (Christian), as well as 38 grandchildren and 43 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 11:00 am at the church located at 900 S 400 E, Centerville, UT. A viewing will be held at 9:45 to 10:45 prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Cemetery, 3401 S Highland Dr., Millcreek, UT.

The service will be live streamed on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and on this obituary page.

The family expresses their deep gratitude to the management, staff and residents of Creekside Senior Living for their friendship and care of Elwyn and Janet during the last three years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the missionary or humanitarian funds of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/ or mailed to Philanthropies, 1450 N. University Avenue, Provo, Utah, 84604.