Ralph Raymond Prime
b. Apr. 23, 1928, Sandwich, IL; d. Nov. 20, 2017, Oakland, CA
Loving husband of Mary Ellen Vines Prime for 63 years; beloved dad of Marian Elizabeth, Lynn Frances, and Monica Jean, and grandpa of Asa Nicole; a dear second father to Genevieve, Masako, and Yoshiko; dear brother of Nancy, Jimmie, and Ben; a favorite son-in-law, brotherin-law, uncle, and cousin to his many relatives in the Prime and Vines families.
Ralph grew up in Torrance, CA. A child of the Great Depression, he knew grief at age 15 when a drunk driver struck his father’s car and killed him, a loss Ralph felt all his life. When his brothers Ben and Jimmie were away at war, Ralph became the man of the house for his mother and his sister, Nancy.
After high school, Ralph worked every job he could to earn money for college, including washing dishes for a huge man named Tiny in the Santa Catalina Island cafeteria, and trying a brief and undistinguished career as a door-to-door salesman. He studied sociology and graduated from Chapman College.
Ralph met Mary Ellen while they were both graduate students at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. They married on May 1, 1954.
As an associate minister and a minister of music, Ralph took his young family to postings in churches throughout California. A sudden decision to pursue a master’s degree in music at San Francisco State College took his wife by surprise but led to the career that proved most fulfilling to him.
From 1968 until his retirement, Ralph shared his love of music with countless students at San Joaquin Delta College, where he led award-winning choirs. An exacting choral director, he guided his students into better sound and expression, and his conducting brought out hidden talents in his performers.
A punster and lover of the written word — from Robert Frost, Shakespeare, and Wendell Berry to Ogden Nash and Tom Lehrer — Ralph could make you laugh until you cried, and he helped you share the burden when you were sad. He always had a kind word for those in pain.
We love and will forever miss his bear-sized hugs, his laughter, his bright spirit, and his kindness. In keeping with Ralph’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. Contributions in his memory may be made to Mercy Retirement & Care Center Charitable Care Fund, 3431 Foothill Blvd., Oakland, CA 94601; or to Doctors Without Borders (http:// doctorswithoutborders.org).