Sunday, January 25, 2009
What a deep loss this is for our family. As the patriarch of our family, he was untiring, generous to a fault,and a brilliant mentor, yet always humble. There are hundreds of wonderful stories about him that come with thousands of thanks. My favorite has always been how my Dad came to own the Red Shingle. One day Uncle Ralph was in "The Shingle" and the original owner said he was sick and tired of the business and was ready to throw in the towel. Uncle Ralph, always the businessman, pulled a napkin out of the dispenser and wrote up an offer right then and there. The owner accepted! Uncle Ralph then went to my Dad and said, "I bought a restaurant today and you've got to take this deal". I understand that my father balked at first saying he didn't know anything about the restaurant business, but Uncle Ralph told him he could do it because my Dad "used to start the dinner when Mama worked". The rest is history and the restaurant became very successful. Since the day that I heard that story, even as a little girl, I was in awe of him and I knew that Uncle Ralph was a true hero. He will be missed forever and never forgotten.
