RALPH GIDLOF

Ralph was born in Wisconsin in 1928. He moved to Seattle, Washington in the summer of 1941. Ralph graduated from West Seattle High School in 1945. After graduation, Ralph enlisted in the US Navy, and was stationed in Guam for 1.5 years, before returning to Seattle circa 1948-1949. Ralph enrolled in Seattle University in 1950, met and married Betty, the love of his life, in 1951. In 1953 they both received degrees and with 2 children moved to Berkeley, California. In December 1953 Ralph became a Berkeley fireman. By 1960 three more children joined the family. Ralph climbed the ranks of the Berkeley fire department, quickly becoming a lieutenant by December 1961, the youngest-in-seniority to hold that rank. In the summer of 1968 the family left Berkeley for British Columbia, Canada. They first settled in Courtenay but soon moved to Prince Rupert where Ralph secured a job as the fire chief at Columbia Cellulose pulp mill. In 1970 Ralph took the job of Fire Chief in the northern BC town of Mackenzie, then in 1972 accepted the job of Deputy Fire Chief in the southern BC city of Coquitlam, a job he held until retirement at age 60 in 1988. By then, Betty & Ralph had a home in Langley, BC where they lived before separating in 1997, Betty moving back to Courtenay, and Ralph moving into his son's basement suite until age 88, when he took residence in a care-home in Abbotsford due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. Ralph passed away there in January 2019, survived by 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, albeit not all are direct descendents.