Final Salute

Ralph Ericksen, of Port Townsend, Washington, passed away on New Year’s Day, 2022, at St Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, Wash., from cancer.

Ralph was the youngest of three children born to Leif and Orlean Ericksen in Bremerton, Wash. Ralph attended school in Silverdale, Wash., with two years of high school spent at King’s Gardens High in Seattle, Wash. He graduated from Central Kitsap High in 1962. Ralph joined the Naval Reserve (Construction Battalions or Seabees) in high school. After graduation he spent two years stationed in Guam. Ralph received an honorable discharge as Builder 2nd(E-5) in 1967. In the private sector he worked as a journeyman carpenter and became a licensed general contractor in 1968.

His carpentry work spanned from Kitsap and King Counties to the Pacific Coast. In the mid 70’s, Ralph spent three years working as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. In the early 80’s he ventured back to Alaska for an additional year as a mate on crab processors. In 1986, after two years of working on road and utility projects with two different commercial construction companies, he entered the field of real estate appraising. He worked in this field within Jefferson County for twenty-seven years, retiring in 2013.

Outside of Ralph’s careers in contracting and real estate appraisal, he spent eight years spanning his late twenties to early thirties working with youth groups at Scandia Church, and the Inn Side coffee house and youth drop-in center in Poulsbo, Wash. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Ralph traveled to thirty-eight countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. His last building project was as volunteer project coordinator for the new Scout Cabin in Port Townsend, Wash. At the completion ceremony for the cabin the committee presented Ralph with a plaque naming the building in his honor; Ralph Ericksen Hall. Ralph drew great joy from gathering with family and friends. In recent years, he was known as ‘the mail guy’ by his Central Kitsap high school classmates. He received this name for his role in coordinating regular gatherings via email for the group.

In 1965, Ralph married his high school sweetheart, Linda Cox. They had three daughters, Brenda, Lisa, and Jodi. In 1986 he married Christal. He was preceded in death by his parents, Christal, and daughter, Lisa. He is survived by daughters Brenda, and Jodi, as well as seven grandchildren: Howdy, Adriana, Natalie, Elisa, Meike, Angelo, and Luciano. He is also survived by his first wife and the mother of his children, Linda.

We will celebrate Ralph’s life at the Scout Cabin in Port Townsend WA, in July of 2022.

The memorial will include photos and refreshments. Friends and associates are encouraged to spend the day with us, sharing memories of our dad and grandfather.
Published by Peninsula Daily News on Jan. 30, 2022.