Ralph Romans June 4, 1925 - June 8, 2018

Ralph Romans was born in Fremont, Nebraska, June 4, 1925, to Gladys and Lyman Romans.

In his early years, his family lived a classic Americana lifestyle, a happy childhood of hauling ice, fishing with his dad and grandmother, garnering coal that spilled from railroad cars, hauling water from the pump and growing their own food. Their wardrobes were hand-me-downs or purchased from Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward catalogues.

He and his friends met on a corner in Fremont, where his future wife, Dolores Walters, lived. From there, they rode bicycles and went skating.

He truly did walk four miles to school, to the delight of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who idolized their grandfather and his stories.

He was a hero to his daughters and his descendants. He championed all people, and was extremely intolerant of bigotry and racism.

In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He became a Seaman with an education in Morse code and signaling. His first tour was on the USS West Virginia, a ship that had been sunk in Pearl Harbor and was restored.

His ship was part of the initial invasion of the Philippines, where they secured beaches for troop landings. They were still on site when General McArthur made his famous "I Shall Return" speech.

Their ship was part of another invasion, bombing the shores of Okinawa. They were hit by a Kamikaze pilot, suffering the loss of four sailors with only mild damage to the ship.

One of their missions was the rescue of 300 sailors, whose aircraft carrier was struck and destroyed by a Kamikaze pilot.

They were part of the invasion of Iwo Jima, where, as signalman, Ralph watched through a long glass as the Marines tackled the mountain and the enemy.

After their return to Okinawa, the war ended. However, action didn't. The Navy lost a ship to bombing, and several suicide missions were attempted. The Signal Corp developed a secret code to prevent sinking each other's ships in the Japanese islands.

Ralph and his ship were nearby when McArthur accepted the Japanese surrender. In their Pacific career, they had shot down 13 Japanese fighter planes.

He was discharged in 1946, and soon after married Dolores, his childhood sweetheart. He enrolled in Midland College and worked a variety of jobs. Their daughter, Dianne, was born a year later.

Ralph re-enlisted in the Navy in 1950, serving another 20 years. In the Korean conflict, he served as a yeoman in the administrative office on the USS Essex out of Bremerton, WA. In Fremont, their second daughter, Cheryl, was born.

The family lived in Hawaii in Ralph's three years of service with a Four-Star General in charge of all Army, Navy, and Marine forces in the Pacific. He retired as Senior Chief Yeoman in 1967.

The couple moved to Sisters in 1968. In his last employment, he served in government assistance in Bend, where he administered the initial food stamp program for Central Oregon. He retired in 1987, at almost 62 years old. "And I never earned another dime," he liked to joke.

He was an avid fisherman throughout his life. He also was a voracious reader and a favorite patron at Sisters Library. He was a perfect neighbor, always offering assistance in plowing snow or bucking fallen trees.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Dolores, and a great-granddaughter, Jazzlyn.

He is survived by his daughters, Dianne Perla (and Jim); Cheryl Smith (and Robert); brother Jim Romans; his grandchildren, Tracy Ward, Kerisna Wilhelmson, Lance Perla, Jeff Perla, Lisa Jones, Stephen Scott and Andrea Bermudez. There are 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

The family will hold a private service.