Ralph P. Spitzer

Ralph Paul Spitzer, 88, died Nov. 15, 2003, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village, Brainerd, Minn. He was born Sept. 24, 1915, in New York City to Otto and Elizabeth (Lehmann) Spitzer. He was educated in New York and served as a chief machinist mate in the Navy during WWII serving in Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean. He had the distinction of seeing Charles Lindberg take off from Roosevelt Field on his historic flight across the Atlantic to Paris in 1927. He was at Asbury Park, N.J., in 1934 when the ship Morrow Castle burned off shore. In addition, he also witnessed the crash of the Hindenburg blimp in Lakehurst, N.J., in 1937. He was an engineer and worked for Helena Rubenstein and Eli Lily Companies in New York. After moving to California, he was a civil service employee for the US Postal Service retiring in 1981. Ralph was a member of the NAFRE, Loyal Order of Moose, VFW No. 2039, First Christian Church and SIR's of Paradise, Calif. Ralph was a Past Governor, Past District President of California-Nevada and Past Legion President of the Loyal Order of Moose. His proudest achievement was that of receiving his Merit of Pilgrim Degree from the Loyal Order of Moose in 1998. His Moose membership was transferred from the Paradise, Calif., lodge to the Brainerd lodge in November of 2002.

Survivors include a daughter Pam, California; stepdaughter Gigi (Ross) Sullivan, Brainerd; stepson James Arrington, Santa Rosa, Calif.; special niece Billie (Jim) Trembly of Rush, Colo.; grandchildren, Lori Bottenfield, Chanhassen, Minn., Roy (Barbara) Spitzer, Heidi (John) Markar, New York, Jack Arrington, Lori and Paula Wilson, Santa Rosa, Calif., John, Michael, Daniel, David and Christina Spitzer, all of New York; daughter-in-law Felicia McCauley, New York; sister-in-law Nancy Spitzer, California; great-grandchildren, Dustin Ross Oldenburg, Blair, Bailey and Brieann Bottenfield, all of Chanhassen, Minn., Vincent, John and Rachel Spitzer, New York, and Lauren Markar, New York. He was preceded in death by wife Billie, son Roy Spitzer, New York, his parents, and brother Henry of California.

A memorial service will be held at Bethany Good Samaritan Chapel, 804 Wright St., Brainerd, Minn., on Thursday, November 20th at 2 p.m. with Pastor Lilja Behr officiating. Funeral and burial will be in California at a later date. Please direct memorials to Bethany Good Samaritan Auxiliary or H.A.R.T. Services have been entrusted to the Brenny Funeral Chapel in Baxter.

Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.

Many thanks to the staff and Ralph's family at Bethany Good Samaritan Village for all their loving care.