Ralph Caldwell

Ralph McDill Caldwell born April 18, 1916, passed away on November 26, 2012. As a child, Dad loved exploring the rolling hills of northeast Mississippi where he was raised in Blue Springs, Cotton Plant, and New Albany. He loved the Lord with all his heart and soul and was a faithful Christian, being baptized at Hopewell Presbyterian Church, and serving as an Elder and Deacon at Sardis Presbyterian and Trinity Presbyterian Churches as well as teaching Sunday School and leading youth groups.

Dad graduated from Tippah-Union High School in 1934 studying under Prof Griffith. He loved baseball and played the game through his high school years and then semi-pro back during a time when the fans passed the hat for good plays to tip the player. Always having an interest in radio, Dad graduated from the National Radio Institute (NRI) which further sparked his interest in radio and technology. In 1937, the Caldwell family moved to Sardis and from there to Como. During the Great Depression, Dad worked for the W.P.A., drove a cattle truck transporting cattle from Sardis to Memphis, and opened a radio service and sales shop in Caldwell Bros. General Merchandise in Sardis. Prior to America’s entry into WWII, he had put in his papers to join the war effort overseas to assist England but before his being able to join that front, America was attacked at Pearl Harbor so he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Being an experienced radio technician, he became part of the second naval class at Oklahoma A&M to study Radar, which was still a top secret technology at that time. From there, he was assigned to Aviation Radio Materials (ARM) at Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), Ward Island, Corpus Christi, Texas, where he was a Chief Petty Officer and Instructor. It was in Corpus Christi that he met his wife of 50 years, Dorothy Claire Noble. They married in Miami, FL, while on his last assignment in Key West and at Boca Chica Field. After the war, they returned to Sardis where they opened Caldwell Radio & TV, he attended college on the G.I. Bill, graduated from Northwest J.C. and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Mississippi. Dad was recruited by Dean Coates of Northwest Junior College and he left the business world to become an Instructor of Electronics Technology. He served on the staff at NWJC from 1960-1964 when he accepted a position with the State Department of Education in Jackson as Assistant State Supervisor of Technical Education. Later he served as Technical Education Supervisor and earned his Master’s Degree from Ole Miss. Serving the Jr. College system across the state and developing technical education programs was a great honor and privilege to Dad and he worked alongside College presidents & instructors to elevate the Mississippi Jr. College system to become one of the best in the country. During his career as Technical Supervisor and during his retirement, Dad was actively involved in the American Technical Education Association (ATEA) serving as past-President and Trustee; the American Vocational Association (AVA) serving as Trustee; and in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) evaluating technical programs at colleges across the country. Dad’s other associations were with the Sons of the American Revolution, Lions Club of Sardis, Boy Scouts of America, Little League Coach, Red Cross Volunteer. He was an avid Ole Miss Rebel and member of the Republican Party. He loved the Great State of Mississippi and the United States of America.

Ralph is preceded in death by his parents, Walter Robison Caldwell and Lula Snell Caldwell; two loving wives, Dorothy Noble Caldwell and Catherine Mosley Caldwell; and by siblings Bruce, Laurene Brown, James, Hugh, Mildred, Margaret Rhoades, and John Caldwell. He is survived by his sister, Mary Lois Michael, and two sisters-in-law, Mary Frances Caldwell and Bettina Caldwell, as well as his dear friends Mildred Currie and Bob Scott and cousin John Osborne. Also, he is survived by his children Pat and Irma Caldwell of Natchez, Claire Caldwell of Houston, TX, his grandchildren Scott and Carina Caldwell, Amanda and Nelson Criswell, and J.P. (Skip) and Mandy B. Caldwell, and to his delight, five great-grandchildren, Grace Caroline and McKay Criswell, Jonah P. Caldwell, and Maddie and Anna Beth Caldwell.

Dad spent his last year in Natchez being lovingly cared for by Pat and Irma, and by Carrie Albert, Ethel Davenport, and Addie Washington, and his special friend, Riley Lofton. We are forever grateful for their kindnesses.

He will be missed by all the lives he touched.

Visitation for Mr. Caldwell will be on Friday, November 30, 2012 from 10:00am to 11:00am at Wright and Ferguson in Ridgeland with Service Immediately Following. Burial will be at Parkway Memorial Cemetery.