Dr. Ralph Erb PERSON

PERSON, Dr. Ralph Erb
The family of Dr. Ralph Erb Person, ThD grieved his passing on July 29, 2016. Born in San Antonio, Texas, to Otha D. Person and Myra Erb Person, Ralph grew up in Karnes City, where he graduated high school in 1949. An avid and accomplished runner, Ralph broke records running track for the University of Texas, Austin while enrolled in the Plan II Degree with an emphasis in Classics and Opera. The love of both music and justice lead him into student leadership; elected as president of the student body, a member of the Silver Spurs, a member of the Friars, and a Social Justice activist.

As a leader, Ralph was instrumental in protesting and breaking racial discrimination taking place in businesses in the late 1940's. Furthering his sense of liberty and justice, Ralph became a Chaplain at the University of Texas.

Ralph enrolled at Austin Theological Seminary in 1953, spending his middle year studying at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland on a Rotary Fellowship. He remained an active member of the Rotary Foundation for the rest of his days. He graduated Austin Theological Seminary in 1956 with his Master of Divinity degree.

Ralph Person married another UT student leader, Peggy Roland in 1955. They had three daughters, Karen, Amy and Kathleen. Ralph and Peggy traveled and worked in India for a number of years as Christian teachers during the late 1950s. The Person family then moved to Basel, Switzerland where Ralph attended the University of Basel as a Danforth Fellow. There, he earned his ThD in Church History with the highest academic distinction bestowed. He and his dynamic wife Peggy then relocated to Decatur, Georgia where he taught Church History at Columbia Theological Seminary .

The family moved back to Texas in the 1970s where he wrote and completed his dissertation, while running the family business and farm in Karnes City. Eventually, the Person family moved to Austin where Ralph taught Church History again, now at Austin Presbyterian Seminary. He was called to the First Presbyterian Church in Temple, Texas in 1977, where he served loyally until his retirement in 1998. Ten years later, in 2008, Ralph received the Distinguished Service Award from the Austin Seminary Association.

Three powerhouse women; Karen Brownfield (husband John Brownfield), Amy Claire Person (husband Gary Powell), and Kathleen Person carry Ralph's brilliance, balanced in family and his loving dedication to cause and purpose. Ralph is also survived by his wife, Peggy Person, the matriarch of reason, teacher of measured restraint, and lover of humanity in all its beautiful expressions. Kallihan Kokernot, his grand daughter has created a special & unique relationship with her grandfather, her loyal and present father figure. Joaquin Barina is his surviving grandson with special connections to his grand father. All this to say that Ralph, the consummate teacher of philosophy, church history, politics, and ethics, was surrounded by family his equal who loved him beyond measure. Ralph will be missed as an honest soul who had a richly textured life.

A celebration of his life will be held August 27th, beginning at 1:00 pm at the Texas Exes Alumni Center. The Etter-Harbin Alumni Center is located across the street from the Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium at 2110 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, TX 78712. (The mailing address is P.O. Box 7278, Austin, TX 78713). Parking is available at the San Jacinto parking garage. https://www.texasexes.org/about-texas-exes/alumni-center

In lieu of flowers and plants, the Person Family requests that donations be made to the Westminster Student Fellowship (WSF) at UT in honor of Ralph: Contact: Dick Powers, dickpowers@me.com, or at Texas Presbyterian Foundation, WSF, 6100 Colwell Blvd, Ste. 250, Irving, TX 75039.