Ralph Iddings

Ralph Marvin Iddings was born January 4th, 1924 at home in Vevay, Indiana and passed away June 4th, 2013 at home in Brentwood, California. Ralph married Louise Bonham on July 14th, 1945 in San Francisco at the Presbyterian Church; this July would have been their 68th year of marriage. Ralph and Louise lived in Vallejo, California before moving to Hanover, Indiana. Ralph attended Hanover College in Indiana before joining the Navy to support the war effort, and played basketball and football for both the college and the military. While at Hanover College, he pledged Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. Ralph fought in the second world war aboard the troop ship U.S.S. Wharton and was honorably discharged in 1946 as a Seaman First Class. He then re-enrolled at Hanover College and continued to play sports for the college. Ralph and Louise moved from Indiana back to Vallejo, California and opened a produce department in Louise’s father’s grocery store. Their daughter Nancy was born in 1946 in Vallejo. The family moved to Richmond where Ralph founded Ralph’s Produce, a retail produce market. Later the business transitioned into a wholesale trucking company. Their son Timothy was born in 1957 in San Pablo. They moved to El Cerrito and adopted their daughter Susan in 1963. The family moved to their current location in Brentwood in 1969 where Timothy became a partner in his father’s business and has been running it for over twenty years.

Ralph is survived by his loving wife Louise Iddings of Brentwood, California; children Nancy Karish of Nashua, New Hampshire, Susan Cartwright of Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Timothy Iddings of Gustine, California; grandchildren Dr. Kimberly Karish of Fort Collins, Colorado, Kelli Karish of North Waterboro, Maine, Laura Cartwright of Eldorado Hills, California, Orlando Iddings of Antioch, California, Rebecca Starr of Modesto, California, and five great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Roger and Joy Iddings of Pennsylvania.

All who knew him will miss Ralph’s great sense of humor and hardworking, dedicated spirit. Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013 at 3pm at Brentwood Community United Methodist Church, 809 Second Street in Brentwood, California. The burial will take place on Wednesday, June 12th, 2013 at 11am at Union Cemetery, 11545 Brentwood Boulevard, Brentwood, California.