Ralph Joseph King, 79, of Gardner, passed away Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019 at home. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 555 W. Main St., Gardner. Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m., before the funeral service. Burial will follow at St. Columbia Cemetery, Gardner, with military honors. Memorial contributions may be made to Divine Mercy Catholic Church, Olathe Health Charitable Foundation Hospice or a charity of your choice. Condolences may be left at brucefuneralhome.com Arrangements: Bruce Funeral Home, 106 S. Center, Gardner, KS 66030 (913-856-7111).
Ralph Joseph King was born Oct. 4, 1939 in Piqua. He was the son of Godfrey George and Agatha Johanna (Bruggeman) King. He graduated from Iola High School. Ralph loved aviation and at age 18 he joined the U.S. Air Force where he worked as an air traffic controller for 12 years. After leaving the Air Force, Ralph worked as an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration in Olathe. Ralph also worked for the USDA as a contract specialist.
Ralph was a member of the Divine Mercy Catholic Church and a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus. He married Macalene McBurney on Feb. 14, 1987 in Gardner. He was an expert craftsman and enjoyed building large scale flyable model airplanes as well as smaller scale highly detailed models. He also liked traveling and going on cruises to other countries, playing poker and dominoes with his friends. Ralph loved watching sports particularly KU basketball, Royals baseball and Chiefs football. Ralph had been a resident of Gardner Lake for more than 40 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings: Irene, Fred, Leo, Rita, Zeno and Inez. Ralph is survived by his wife Mackey; sisters Joyce Foster and husband Larry, Iola, and Mildred King, Yates Center; stepsons Robert Murphy, St. Joseph, Mo., and Tye Murphy and wife Jamie, Lees Summit, Mo.; two grandsons Robert Ball and wife Vanessa and Hayden Murphy; three granddaughters: Georgia, Isla and Shelby Murphy; two great grandsons Vincent and Hank Ball; and many nieces and nephews.
