Ralph Mack Krause

Ralph Mack Krause, a thoughtful mathematician, dedicated public servant, and beloved family man, died on Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C., supported by the love of his family. Born in New York City in 1931, and raised in Scarsdale, New York, he showed an early gift for numbers and an abiding curiosity about how things fit together, traits that quietly shaped the rest of his life. He would have especially appreciated that one of his grandkids observed that April 30th was a factorial day number because April 30 was the 120th day of 2026.

Ralph attended Harvard University, where he studied mathematics and took joy in tackling hard problems with patience and creativity. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in mathematics at Harvard in 1959, focusing in number theory and topology. He wrote his thesis on “Minimal Metric Spaces” under the supervision of Andrew Gleason, work that reflected his deep appreciation for structure, elegance, and insight in mathematics. He spent a period as a mathematics professor, sharing his clarity of thought and gentle humor with his students, before moving into a career that allowed him to support mathematics and science more broadly.

When he moved to Washington, Ralph joined the National Science Foundation, where he worked as a Program Director in the Division of Mathematical Sciences, quietly helping to foster research and support the work of mathematicians across the country. At the NSF, he helped support a wide range of cutting-edge grants, including projects in set theory, combinatorial set theory, and geometric questions in algebraic topology. As a program officer, he quietly influenced the direction of modern mathematics by identifying promising research, supporting early-career mathematicians, and sustaining long-term programs in core areas of pure math. He also helped automate many of the NSF’s processes in the early days of computers.

Ralph loved solving math problems throughout his life, not only for work but also for pleasure, and especially relished the challenge of the Olympiad questions each year when they appeared. Even in later years, a good problem could light up his eyes and draw him into the same deep concentration that had defined his student days. He was especially proud of his concise result related to Apollonian octets (often referred to as Krause’s theorem) and his subsequent return decades later to publish a brief, elegant note in the American Mathematical Monthly giving a new, efficient evaluation of (Zeta(2)), the classical Basel sum, a problem that had fascinated him since his student days.

Ralph was an avid runner and remained a runner throughout his life, finding in it a steady rhythm, a time to think, and a way to care for both body and mind. Before he had children, he also flew small planes, drawn to the combination of precision, independence, and quiet beauty he found in the sky. These pursuits reflected something essential about him: a love of focus, of mastering a challenge, and of seeing the world from new perspectives.

Some of Ralph’s happiest times were spent on Martha’s Vineyard, especially around Chilmark Pond. Over the years, he delighted in swimming across the pond (fully clothed), body surfing in the cold waves—frequently in the nude—and embracing the water with the same mix of humor and courage he brought to other parts of life. He loved learning and then mastering windsurfing, and he took particular pleasure in windsurfing with the family dog, Max, perched proudly on the front of his board. Before braving the chill of the ocean, he enjoyed throwing a frisbee on the beach, warming up with long, easy games of catch. Martha’s Vineyard was a wonderful place to raise his children and, later, to spend time with his grandchildren. He especially cherished reading to both generations, often in the evening, his voice carrying softly over the sound of the waves. He regularly read late into the night on the couch and could often be found perched in the same seat well after dawn.

Ralph’s life was deeply intertwined with that of his wife, Dr. Marianne Schuelein, a pediatric neurologist in Washington, D.C., who maintained her own practice and served for decades on the neurology faculty at Georgetown University. They married in 1960 and began their life together while she completed her medical training and residency, eventually moving to Washington, where they built a home, careers, and a family. Their marriage was a true partnership: as Marianne cared for patients, advocated for working mothers, and taught generations of physicians, she often credited “an extremely supportive husband,” their good kids, and precious summer vacations for making it all possible. Ralph was immensely proud of her dedication to her patients, her students, and her field, and took great satisfaction in her many accomplishments and the lives she touched through her work, supporting her through long hours, demanding responsibilities, and the joys and stresses of raising a family.

Together, Ralph and Marianne created a home that balanced seriousness of purpose with warmth, humor, and curiosity. They raised their children in an environment where ideas were discussed at the dinner table, books were stacked on every surface, and both work and play were valued. Their shared commitment to service—Marianne in medicine, Ralph in science and education—gave their family a powerful example of lives devoted to something larger than themselves, while their deep affection for each other gave that example heart. Ralph and Marianne also shared a love of the arts and ideas, supporting institutions such as the Sidwell Friends School, Harvard University, Columbia School of Law, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Folger Shakespeare Library, and other cultural and educational organizations in Washington and beyond. Their shared commitments—to learning, to service, to family, and to their community—were woven into the fabric of their long marriage, and those who knew them together often saw not just two accomplished individuals, but a couple whose strengths amplified one another.

Above all, Ralph was a devoted husband, father, brother, and grandfather. He is survived by his beloved wife, Marianne; one sister, Ellen; his sons and their spouses, Peter and Sara, and Steve and Amy; his grandchildren, Lucy, Annabelle, Sam, Frannie, and Cullen; and various nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. He took profound pride in his family and delighted in their conversations, achievements, and adventures. He loved reading to his grandchildren, working through puzzles and problems with them, and watching them grow into their own distinct selves.

Ralph will be remembered for his gentle steadiness, his quiet wit, his love of a good shaggy dog story, his amazing recall of facts large and small, and his deep kindness. He approached life with integrity, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility to others, whether he was supporting scientific research, running a familiar route, windsurfing with Max, reading the end of a book first, or working on math problems. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who had the good fortune to know him.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Sydney and Marjory Krause Fund A (4015) at the New York Community Trust (https://thenytrust.donorsupport.co/page/SydneyMarjoryKrauseA4105). And please contact Pete or Steve or check the Remembrance page hosted by Gawlers’ Funeral Home for information about the to-be-planned online remembrance.