Ralph Young Shuping Jr.

Ralph was born in Fayetteville, NC on Sep 22, 1939 and moved with his family to Augusta, GA when he was a teenager. Ralph attended Georgia Tech, where he served in NROTC and was a member of Delta Sigma Phi. After graduating with a degree in civil engineering in 1961, he served 2 years in the US Navy as communications officer (Lt. JG) on the USS Holder, a destroyer stationed in Norfolk, VA which was called to duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct 1962).

Ralph met his future wife Melissa while he was stationed in Norfolk and the two were married at Fort Monroe on August 24, 1963. The couple moved to Raleigh, NC where Ralph worked at Superior Stone, the family-owned rock quarry. Ralph and Melissa enjoyed the theater, sports car racing, and touring around in Ralph’s beloved Porsche 356B with their bassett hound Beauregard.

In 1966, Ralph and Melissa moved west to Portland, OR so that Ralph could start a career at Bonneville Power Administration as a structural engineer, where he designed transmission towers and went on to lead the Quality Assurance team. After a few years, Ralph and Melissa decided to settle in Portland; a daughter and son were born in 1970 and ’71 respectively. Their daughter Penny was born with Downs Syndrome, which had its challenges throughout their lives, but also provided a rich source of joy and community. In 1983, Kristy Feck joined the Shuping family as a foster daughter.

In his free time, Ralph enjoyed cross-country skiing, fly-fishing with his son Ralph, and traveling with the family. He was also a committed advocate for people with developmental disabilities. He served on the board of the ARC and Guardianship Advocacy and Protection Services (GAPS), and was an active mentor.

Ralph retired from BPA in 1998 after 30+ years of service in order to help care for Penny at home. In retirement, he continued to enjoy fly-fishing, road-tripping with friends and family, organizing activities and social get-togethers for Penny’s friend group, and spending time with his grand-children.

Ralph is preceded in death by his father Ralph, Sr., his mother Virginia, and daughter Penny. He is survived by: his wife of 59 years, Melissa; his son Ralph, daughter-in-law Jennifer, and their two children, Katrina and Anna; daughter Kristy and her child La’a; and cousin Emily, her spouse James, and their children Carter and Campbell. Ralph was also a great friend and mentor to many. He will be deeply missed by those he leaves behind.

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland on Saturday, September 17 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Oregon Food Bank (www.oregonfoodbank.org). Ralphs ashes will be interred in the Chestnut Grove at Lone Fir cemetery in Portland, OR at a later date.