Robert "Bob" Wilbur Ralston

Retired Army CW3 Robert Wilbur Ralston, age 89, of Marietta, Georgia passed away Sunday, September 1, 2024 surrounded by his family. He was born on January 4, 1935 in San Jose, California to the late Elmo Franklin Ralston and Noma Mary Taylor Ralston.

Robert graduated from Campbell Union High School, after which he began a remarkable twenty-three year career in the US Armed Forces, serving in the United States Air Force, Navy and Army. Trained in the Air Force as an intelligence specialist, he spent almost four years stationed in Germany before returning home to California. Soon after, he joined the Navy, where he spent the next eight years as an intelligence instructor stationed in Escondido, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, Columbus, Ohio, Sanford, Florida, and on the aircraft carrier Independence.

Following a transfer of service to the US Army in 1966, Robert was immediately deployed to Vietnam as an intelligence officer. He ultimately did two tours of service, before returning to Washington D.C. and ultimately retiring from the Army in 1975 as a Chief Warrant Officer 3. During his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and Joint Service Commendation Medal, among many other notable awards and decorations. He was extremely proud of his service to his country.

After completing his military service, Robert earned both a Bachelors degree from St. Leo College and a Masters in Human Resources from Pepperdine University, while working at the US Military Education Center at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA. It was there that he became a member of Solomon’s Lodge No 1, the oldest operating Masonic lodge in the Western Hemisphere. It was also there that he met the love of his life, Victoria and in July 1978, they became married. He then began a fifteen year career working in intelligence for the US federal government in Huntsville, Alabama and Washington, D.C. before moving to Atlanta, Georgia to be closer to his family. There, he became Security Chief at Scientific Research Corporation (SRC) as a defense contractor for almost twenty years before retiring in 2014.

Robert, or Bob for those that knew him, was a classic car aficionado. Bob owned least one hundred cars throughout his life, with the 1934 Ford Victoria being his ultimate favorite.

Throughout his life, he was an avid reader and frequent antique shopper. He also enjoyed watching sports, especially his favorite team, San Francisco 49ers. If not in the garage working on his cars, you could find him in his favorite chair with a captivating novel or watching football, usually with a sweet treat in hand.

Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his two brothers, Elmo Lee Ralston and Norman Charles Ralston and son, Randall Roger Ralston.

Robert is survived by his loving wife of fourty-six years, Victoria Elvira Ralston; children, Ronald Richard Ralston, Robert Russell Ralston (Kim), Lori Haley Gaytan (Michael) and Thomas John Haley Jr.; grandchildren, Randi Renee Schlecht, Courtney Marie-Ashley Paradela, Michael Anthony Gaytan Jr. (Wallace Sprayberry), and Gina Victoria Gaytan; great-grandchildren Brandon, Brian, and Riley and extended family members and friends to cherish his legacy.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, September 7 at 1:00 PM at H.M. Patterson & Son – Canton Hill Chapel. Friends are cordially invited for a visitation two hours prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions may be made to a cause near and dear to Bob’s heart, Tunnels to Towers Foundation at t2t.org