Ralph W. Symons November 12, 1930 - December 25, 2021

Miami, Florida - Ralph Wallace Symons passed away peacefully in his home in Miami, Florida on December 25, 2021 after 91 years of a prolific and eventful life.

Born George Arthur Wilson, Jr. in St. Louis, MO, Ralph was adopted by Walter and Edna Symons of Libertyville, IL where he spent most of his childhood, leaving only after joining the United States Marine Corps in 1948.

Ralph was always quick to note that “once a Marine, always a Marine” and even after leaving the Marines as a Staff Sergeant to attend the University of Illinois on the GI Bill, he always said it was the Marines that gave him the discipline and focus that allowed him to become the successful business owner and “go-getter” that defined the rest of his life. After graduating from the U of I, he founded multiple successful businesses, including insurance agencies and construction companies both in Illinois and his new home in South Florida, where he moved because he was tired of being cold. Seeking new challenges later in life, Ralph sold his businesses and returned to school in his late 40s, getting an English degree and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami at the age of 50. He went on to have a second successful career as a lawyer in Miami, running his practice well into his eighties.

Ralph was a lover of life and he was not one to just sit around. A pilot, sailor and diver, his free time was marked by travel and adventures around the world leading to the many compelling stories that Ralph loved to tell. For most, living just one of Ralph’s stories might be the highlight of a lifetime, but for those in the know, getting an Eveready Battery commercial after sinking in the Gulfstream or helping to foil a hijacking were just par for the course with Ralph, even though he was always “just a middle-aged fat guy who was afraid of snakes”.

Ralph is survived by 11 children, 21 grandchildren and an abundance of great-grandchildren who will all relish retelling the stories that defined a human character that will appear only once.

Ralph will be honored in a graveside ceremony on February 18, 2022 at 2:30pm at the National Cemetery of South Florida. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Fund