Born on January 25, 1940 in Brooklyn, NY, he called many places home: Culver Lake, NJ; Selma and Greenville, AL; Jim Thorpe, PA; and most recently Palmyra, VA. He made friends everywhere he went, leaving behind a village of those who loved him most.
He lived an accomplished life, first serving as a strategic reconnaissance pilot and flight instructor in the United States Air Force in Alabama, where he met his first wife, Barbara Fitts Foster. He left to put his mechanical engineering degree to use designing heavy equipment for use in agriculture, railroads, and the military—while casually teaching college math and earning a law degree along the way. He even launched a software company to make the home inspection process more efficient. His analytical mind and never-ending curiosity drove him throughout his life, always wanting to learn and accomplish more.
In his personal life, he found deep joy and love in nature. As an avid fisherman, bird watcher, hiker and adventurer, he found beauty in the world around him. At 70 he began to take this beauty and created pieces of art with it, becoming an award-winning carver who created dozens of beautiful bird and fish carvings that remain treasured works of art.
He served at multiple animal shelters throughout his life, with his most recent being as the President of the Board of the Fluvanna SPCA. His love for animals was unmatched, seen in his love for his many dogs he adopted later in life, including Reno, Molly, Alfie, and Foxy.
He was a man who loved deeply, created beautiful art and poetry, and found comfort in the small wonders of nature. He touched the lives of so many around him, and while he will be missed, he will live on in the hearts of those who loved him most.
Ned was predeceased by his father, Herbert Ramm; his mother, Harriett Ramm; his wife, Bernice “Elaine” Ramm; daughter Angela Moore Mize; and son James A. “Tony” Moore. He is survived and missed by his four children and their spouses, Carl Ramm and Susan Alexander, Lianne Ramm, David Ramm and Nicole Zehr, and Lisa and Kevin Bender, as well as his brother, Henry L. Ramm. His memory is forever cherished by his grandchildren, Lindsey and Mike Gurk, Rachel and Sean Alexander, Alex and Jake Schlarman, Colie Bender, John Bender and Melissa Herman, and his great-grandchildren, Oliver Gurk, Penny Gurk, and Elaine June Schlarman.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Smith-McCracken Funeral Home in Newton, NJ. A funeral service will begin at 12 p.m. at the funeral home with interment to follow at Branchville Cemetery. A Celebration of Life is planned for Monday, May 12, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Cunningham United Methodist Church in Palmyra, VA. Flowers will be accepted, and donations may be made to the Fluvanna SPCA at www.fspca.org. (Ned designed that website when he was about 83.)
