He was born in Springfield, IL, on January 10, 1942, the son of Ralph M. Jr. and Leora J. (Faust) Patkus. He married Susan Lane Brady on June 26, 1998, in Pleasant Plains, IL. She preceded him in death on March 15, 2018.
Ralph graduated Springfield High School with the class of 1961. He then owned and operated Ralph Patkus Construction. After Ralph’s retirement with his construction company, he then owned Sportsman Lounge. He proudly served in the U.S. Air Force as well as the Carpenters Union. Ralph enjoyed golfing, fishing, live music, going to the Boat, and going out to eat with friends and family.
He was also preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Carol D. Farley; and brother, James M. Patkus.
Ralph is survived by daughter, Nanci (Scott) Smilie; step-daughter, Tina Chrans; brother, Michael (Kate) Patkus; sister, Sandra (Carl “Ron”) Hochreiter; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
The family will host a Celebration of Life at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Curve Inn, 3219 S. 6th St., Springfield.
In honor of Ralph’s love for Marathon Island, memorial contributions may be made to The Turtle Hospital https://seaturtlehospitalstore.com/collections/donations
Cremation was provided by Butler Funeral Home & Cremation Tribute Center.
