Brigadier General Ralph Murray Jerome had retired from the blue skies of his airplanes, the sparkling sea of his yachts, the ski slopes of Colorado and the golf courses of Peachtree City, Ga., and on Aug. 7, 2011, in Peachtree City, Fayette County, Ga., he retired a final time to heaven.
Ralph Murray Jerome, born March 2, 1921, in St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minn., to Ralph Frederick and Helen Caroline (Schweizer) Jerome. This boy would become a man of great intellect, educated, opinionated, and hardheaded too, but the qualities that outweighed them all was his compassion and ability to love.
Ralph Murray Jerome was by far one of the most gracious gentlemen to travel through our time. He thrived on learning and understanding the world around him. He attended the University of Minnesota, the War College, and many other higher learning institutions in search of truth and understanding. In doing so, he definitely formed his own opinions, and it was difficult at times to change his mind, but the most fascinating concept for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to learn was he was always right! Luceille may not always have agreed to this, but the love she felt for him gave her the ability to smile and say, “Whatever you say, dear,” then shake her head and smile.
Ralph grew up in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. area and went to St. Louis Park High School and the University of Minnesota.
In 1941, anxious to get involved with flying, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Corp in Canada and became a pilot. After the United States joined WWII, as a true patriotic American, he returned to the U.S. and joined the United States Army Air Corp. A troop train had traveled from one end of Canada to the other picking up the best of the RCAF American boys, including Ralph, and brought them back to the states to begin building the United States Army Air Corp.
Ralph, while stationed in Saskatchewan, Canada, met Luceille Eleanor McConnell, they fell madly in love in just one week, and he sent for her to join him one week after arriving back in the United States. They were married, Sept. 1, 1942, in Evanston, Wyo. For the next three years everything they owned could fit in the back of their car as they traveled from one posting to another. Ralph was stationed in several states (California, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C.) during these years as a flying instructor. Later, Ralph went to England to become part of the 8th Air Force, 3rd Squadron, 467th Group as senior command pilot for B-24’s on heavy bombardment missions. Both Ralph M. and his father, Ralph F., were one of the few father-son pilots on active flying status at the same time during WWII.
After WWII, he did some commercial flying for Chesapeake Airlines, Inc. in Salisbury, Md. Then, in 1949, he was asked to become the Commander of the 179th Fighter Squadron, forerunner of the 148th Fighter Wing, at the Air National Guard Base in Duluth, Minn. In 1958, Ralph was advanced to Commander of the 133rd Fighter Group and served in that capacity until 1960, when he was then appointed Minnesota’s first National Guard Chief of Staff for Air. All components of the state’s Air Guard units were then under his jurisdiction. These included the 133rd Air Transport Wing and its’ component units, headquartered in the Twin Cities of Minnesota and St. Paul and the 179th Fighter Interceptor Squadron based in Duluth. In 1951, he and his flying squadron were called to active duty to serve from Japan during the Korean War. The squadron was also called to active duty during the Bay of Pigs, Berlin Crisis, and Cuban Missile Crisis. Ralph retired from the service to his country in 1968.
In 1968, Ralph and Luceille sold their house, cars, had a large garage sale and left Minn. through the Great Lakes, down the inland waterway to Florida and over to the Bahamas on their yacht. They lived on their boat and traveled around the Bahama Islands for several years. They used a small motorcycle for transportation, when on land, to go grocery shopping or to the laundromat. When they decided it was time for another change they moved to Colorado and bought 922 acres along with Ralph’s brother, Jerome Louis (Jerry) Jerome, and began developing the land for a subdivision called Pawnee Hills located in Castle Rock, Colo.
In Colorado, they enjoyed riding their horses at Pawnee Hills, skeet shooting in Colorado Springs and skiing the Rocky Mountains. Some years later, he joined Gilbert Commonwealth of Michigan as a Construction Manager and liaison to Minnesota while the company installed power lines through the state of Minnesota. He was also instrumental in helping the company advance into the computer age just when individual computing was coming of age.
When deciding it was time to retire again, they bought a house in Peachtree City, Ga. In 1983, they joined the Flat Creek County Club and began golfing on a regular basis with wonderful couples that would remain their friends for the next 28 years. Ralph continued to remember all those wonderful years and the golf courses that he had played with his friends.
And of course, the “Hole-In-One.” He continued to enjoy working with computers and helping his friends with his expertise when they asked. He also spent many long hours tending his flowers and keeping his grass green all year round.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen Caroline (Schweizer) Jerome and Ralph Frederick Jerome of Denver, Colo.; his sister, Beverly Jerome Lavach Waters of Sun City, Ariz.; and son-in-law, Billy Joe McCutcheon of Newnan, Ga.
Ralph leaves behind his soul mate, the love of his life of 69 years, Luceille Eleanor (McConnell) Jerome of Peachtree City, Ga.
Ralph leaves behind his children: Sandra Lee Jerome (Gary Ray) Atwood of Louisville, Ky., Helen Myrle Jerome (Billy Joe) McCutcheon of Newnan, Ga., and Ralph Frederick (Rose Ann Martinez) Jerome of Lewisville, Texas.
His grandchildren: Stacy Kristine Atwood (Richard) Theobald, Brent Gary Atwood, Travis Jerome (Shannon) McCutcheon, Amanda Jo McCutcheon, Rendi McCutcheon (Bryan) Sellens, Jennifer Lynn Jerome (Charles) Isom, and Alexander Murray Jerome.
His great-grandchildren: Brittney, Erik, Nickolas, Ashton, Arin, Regan, Brandon, Matthew, Nathaniel, Aislin, and Anden.
In addition, Ralph is survived by: his sister, Barbara Jerome Christofferson Hurd of Arkansas; his brother, Jerome Louis Jerome and sister-in-law Lorraine (Artz) Jerome of Arkansas, and brother-in-law Jim Waters of Arizona; sister-in-law Georgia (McConnell) Kraeling of British Columbia, Canada, and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom were very special to him.
Ralph Jerome leaves behind a solid foundation that his family will continue to follow: that of faith in ourselves, our county, and our Lord; hope, love, kindness to the world; and most importantly the family legacy of love, respect, and caring for each other. He has passed all of these on to all the generations that have known him and the generations that will know him through memories. A favorite saying of Ralph’s was “It’s been a great ride, I sure did enjoy it all!”
He so enjoyed sitting out in front of the house or on the garden bench talking to all the passersby about their children, their pets and their lives. He was really interested in every one of them and missed those in the neighborhood who had moved and sympathized with those that had lost a pet. He considered everyone his friend. He was always a good listener and if asked would gladly give his opinion of how things should or could be done whether it was to his children, grandchildren, friends or the world. He will always be remembered as a great example of what a gentleman should be.
One of his favorite sayings: “Days are like girls, all are good, some are just better than others.” And: “Life is good.”
Every night, before bed, he would go outside, look up in the sky and say goodnight to his parents. Tonight, we will do the same.
“Good night, Dad.”
A “Celebration of Life” gathering will be held Aug. 20, 2011, at 3 p.m. at the McCutcheon home at 216 Fieldstone Way, Newnan, Ga. Memorial contributions, instead of flowers, may be sent to Shriners Children’s Hospitals at shrinershospitalforchildren.org or Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org/research.
