Ralph’s formative years, through high school, were spent in Eugene, Oregon. In addition to being an academic achiever during high school, Ralph was a letterman in tennis and a cheerleader.
After Ralph retired in 1985, he purchased and operated Kings Valley Vineyards until he and Janie moved to Monmouth, Oregon, in 1998. In addition to managing the vineyard, he did bench grafting for California growers, providing them with special disease-resistant vines.