Rev. Dr. Ralph M. Pedersen Jr.

Rev. Dr. Ralph M. Pedersen, Jr.

August 27, 2016

Tracy, CA

Rev. Dr. Ralph M. Pedersen Jr., age 87, passed away on August 27, 2016 in Tracy, California. He was born in Douglas, Arizona and was raised in Stockton, California through his college years. He was Student Body President of Stockton High School and attended College of the Pacific before graduating from UC Berkeley where he met and married Marilyn Strahl. He attended Boston University School of Theology, and moved back to California where he was ordained as a Methodist minister. Over the next 45 years, he ministered in churches in San Francisco (Parkside), Antioch, Madera, Tulare, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Stockton (Minister of Counseling).

Ralph always considered Stockton his home and chose to move back to live out his remaining years. Ralph and Marilyn were the proud parents of four sons: Earl and his wife Daniela, Paul and his wife Maggie, David and his wife Sharon, and Don and his wife Paula. His wife preceded him in death in 2010. He was also the proud grandfather of 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

As a boy, Ralph was very involved in the Stockton YMCA where his father, Ralph Sr. was the executive secretary. His interests growing up were magic, school leadership and singing. He had a keen sense of humor and enjoyed telling jokes to his family and friends.

Later in life, he took a year's sabbatical from the ministry to complete a doctoral degree at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. He instilled the same emphasis on education in his children, and three of them are now teaching in different fields.

A service of celebration will be held at the Central United Methodist Church in Stockton on September 17, 2016 at 10:00 am. A reception will follow in the Fireside Room. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that contributions be made to the Ralph M. Pedersen Sr. Columbarium Fund at the Central United Methodist Church.