Madison: Ralph H. Meyer, age 97, passed away on Friday, March 7th, 2025. He was born September 29th, 1927 in Madison, WI to Ethelbert and Teresa (Koch) Meyer. His childhood was spent on the family farm raising cows, horses, pigs, sheep, and chickens.
Ralph attended a country schoolhouse in the town of Westport and graduated from Waunakee High School as valedictorian. He took flight lessons and passed his pilot’s exam earning a private pilot certificate at age 17.
After high school, Ralph enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in World War II, attaining the rank of Sargent. Upon discharge in 1946, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Ralph worked his entire 35-year career at Wisconsin Power and Light (now Alliant Energy) as a product procurement engineer of large electrical substations. He met his wife Lila Mae Rule at WP&L and they were married 53 years until her death in 2019.
In addition to his family, he loved the outdoors and wildlife. His hobbies were fishing, riding snowmobiles, caring for animals on his small wild game farm in Verona, and deer hunting on his land up North.
Upon his retirement, Ralph and Lila volunteered delivering food from local grocery stores to food pantries such as Middleton Outreach Ministry, Middleton Senior Center, and other organizations. He was a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, since it was built in the original location on Rosa Road. For the last 5 years, Ralph resided at All Saints Assisted Living where he enjoyed many of the daily activities. Ralph was devoted to his faith. He led a weekly rosary service for the All Saints residents and regularly attended mass and rosary in the chapel.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lila, and siblings (Lucille Wells, Phyllis Heinz; Daniel, Joseph, and Vincent Meyer). He is survived by his children Joette and Paul (grandsons, Ian and Ryan Meyer), and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, March 17, 2025 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 602 Everglade Dr., Madison, WI. Visitation will be at the church on Monday from 10:00 am until the time of Mass. For those unable to attend Mass in person, you may view the Mass via livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StThomasAquinasChurchMadison/
Ralph will be buried with full military honors at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Madison. There will be a luncheon reception at St. Thomas Aquinas following the Mass.
The family would like to thank the staff at All Saints Assisted Living for their loving and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate/.
Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com
Cress Center
6021 University Ave. Madison
(608) 238-8406
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