Ralph and his Beloved Mary Ann
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Ralph and his Beloved Mary Ann |
| Ralph McCrea OBITUARY
VERO BEACH - Ralph S. McCrea of Vero Beach, FL, died peacefully on October 22, 2021. He was 93. In his final days, he was surrounded by his wife of 72 years, Mary Ann (Peterson) and his five children – Brian, Joan, Lynne, Nancy and Ralph III (“Tad”) as well as several of his grandchildren.
Ralph, who was known most of his life as “Mac”, was born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan. He held great affection for the area – especially the shores of Lake Michigan and, as he remembered, the bustling West Michigan dock where ferries and freighters would come and go. Life around the dock stirred his deep curiosity about the great world around him. He remembers with pride the summer he worked at a cold storage plant packing cherries for transport. It was during WWII, and he was 14 years old. (And he admits to tasting one or two of those cherries while he worked). Following service in the Army, Ralph went on to marry his high school sweetheart, Mary Ann, and worked several jobs while attending college. He graduated Western Michigan University in 1952. He went on to have a long and storied career – first as a high school history teacher, and then working for 35 years for IBM Corp. in marketing and sales, where he rose to become Senior Manager negotiating contracts with the federal government. In his retirement, Mac richly fulfilled his youthful desire to see the world. He and his fellow-traveler Mary Ann amazed people by their adventurous trips. The only continent they did not visit was Antarctica. They also travelled extensively in the U.S. – including Mac's yearly visits to Gettysburg for the Lincoln Forum, where he honored his hero, Abraham Lincoln. Mac and Mary Ann's last big trip was up the Amazon River in 2019. For Mac, traveling was more than a pleasure –it was a learning experience, and whether he was abroad or at home, he thrived on learning something new every day. He loved sharing his travel accounts with friends and family, typically over a meal or a drink. In those moments, his warm embrace of life—his sense of adventure and optimism—shone brightly. As part of “the Greatest Generation,” Mac wanted to give back. He helped create the Muskegon High School Class of 1946 Scholarship to help students from his alma mater attend Muskegon Community College. Since its inception in 1986, the fund has helped hundreds of students achieve their educational goals. Mac loved his second home, Vero Beach, where he and Mary Ann began as part-time residents in 1976. Mac served as president of the Pebble Beach Villas Homeowners' Association, working diligently to protect his fellow residents' beach access. And he took on happily what might have seemed less glamorous projects: power-washing and repainting stucco among them. Over his lifetime, Mac supported numerous and varied organizations including the Visiting Nurse Association, Indian River Hospital, the Vero Beach Art Museum, the Boys' and Girls' Club, and many others. A celebration of Ralph “Mac” McCrea's joyful life will be held in Vero Beach at a later date. Per his wishes, his ashes will be scattered in the Atlantic Ocean near Vero Beach and Muskegon Lake near West Michigan Dock. |
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