He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Dolores Mae Ohnemus; son, Jerry Jones (Linda); grandchildren, Steven Jones (Heather) and Cammie Wright (Sam); two great granddaughters, Eleanore Jones and Noel Bruner (Cory); and a great, great granddaughter, Rivers Bruner. He was preceded in death by his mother, Anna Haynes; father, William Ohnemus; sister, Lucille Brinkman; and beloved uncles “Fritz” and George Ohnemus.
Born in Baden, Missouri in 1931, Ralph loved watching planes fly overhead as a boy and longed to see the world. Years later, he was lucky enough to work his way up from humble beginnings to an international executive position that allowed him to make his boyhood dreams come true. After pursuing higher education in chemistry, he started working in the laboratory with Petrolite Corporation. Friendly, talkative, and a storyteller by nature, he quickly moved into sales. He loved his career, especially while working and living overseas with his wife, Dolores, and enjoyed sharing the many great adventures they experienced. After serving in various vice presidential roles, he retired after 37 years of work with Petrolite.
Ralph was a longtime member of Willow Fork Country Club and an avid golfer making his 2nd hole-in-one at the age of 87. Anyone, young or old, who played golf with Ralph became his friend, and those who shared a drink with him quickly learned the toast “Be salamati”. After a round of golf, Ralph could usually be seen having a Budweiser with his fellow golfers while he related stories about his days in the oil fields or in the Korean War, as well as occasionally giving investment advice. A fellow golfer and friend said of him, “His good humor and genuine kindness undoubtedly made him the most popular golfer in the Club.”
Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Katy Funeral Home (23350 Kingsland Blvd) on Sunday, November 22, 2020 with services and reception immediately following. Interment will occur the following day at the Houston National Cemetery (10410 Veterans Memorial Dr) on Monday, November 23, 2020. The procession to the cemetery will begin lining up at the Katy Funeral Home at 8:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Veterans of Foreign Wars (www.vfw.org).
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