Ralph T. King ’51

Ralph T. King ’51, a civic-minded entrepreneur and avid golfer, died on April 13 in Vero Beach, Florida. He is survived by four children (including son Alan ’83), eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. His wife, Jane, predeceased him. Ralph was born and raised in Cleveland and attended Phillips Exeter Academy before enrolling at Dartmouth. He majored in sociology, was a member of Delta Tau Delta, and part of the Navy ROTC unit. He served three years in the U.S. Navy. Returning to Cleveland, he worked for National City Bank before joining Structural Fibers Inc. (later renamed Essef Corp.), where he became treasurer and eventually chairman of the board. He founded Custom Beverage Packers Inc., a bottler of carbonated beverages, and was for 23 years a director of Alexander & Baldwin Inc., a Hawaii real estate investment trust. In 1975 he served as interim headmaster at Hawken School. In 1977 Ralph and his family moved to Vero Beach, where he indulged his love of golf (he shot seven holes-in-one in his lifetime) and became a major contributor to the local community. His civic roles included senior volunteer positions with the Vero Beach YMCA, Indian River Memorial Hospital, Vero Beach planning and zoning board, the Civic Association of Indian River County, and the Riomar Neighborhood Association. Ralph was for 10 years a member of the board of governors of the U.S. Seniors Golf Association and chaired its invitational tournament committee.