Ralph Jones

1923 - 2017

Ralph Jones February 21, 1923 - October 23, 2017 Leucadia Ralph Northrup Jones, 94, died on October 23, 2017 after a life that reflected a wide range of talents. His accomplishments include teaching thousands of participants in Parenting, Marriage, and Relationship Skills courses in 14 countries, co-authoring with his wife, Patty Howell, training programs and the book "World Class Marriage" that has been published in 11 countries. He spent 1963-1964 as a member of Nat "King" Cole's "Merry Young Souls," the first fully integrated singing group to tour the U.S. A San Diego North County resident since 1975, Ralph Jones was the son of Wilbur August Jones and Grace Northrup Jones of Omaha, NE. The family ran a successful bakery and coffee shop, Northrup-Jones, an Omaha institution for more than seventy years. Ralph and his sister, Marylouise, enjoyed a neighborhood filled with playmates. Ralph's musical talents were discovered early and he cultivated a life-long involvement with singing and playing piano, guitar, and ukulele. During WWII, Ralph served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific where his ship was once the target of kamikaze attack. After the war, he resumed his studies at Occidental College where he was president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon as well as the school's Glee Club. He was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa honor society in his Junior year, and graduated with a degree in Political Science in 1946. That same year, he married his college sweetheart, Dian Jones. They lived in La Caada and became the parents of three children.After working on the fringes of Hollywood as assistant producer of radio shows such as "The Jack Benny Show" and "Hallmark Hall of Fame," as well as selling radio airtime, Ralph opted for a career teaching school. But, longing to live his musical dreams, Ralph auditioned his rich, high baritone voice for the Nat Cole troop and was asked to join Nat on his national tour. He loved singing around the country and never lost his admiration for Nat's consummate musicianship and gentle dignity as a person. After coming off the road to spend more time with his family, Ralph took the "Parent Effectiveness Training" (P.E.T.) course that Dr. Thomas Gordon had recently developed. Finding it revolutionary for the relationships with his kids, Ralph applied those skills to his next teaching job where he was elected president of the faculty. He later joined Gordon as his first professional colleague, and for 28 years helped to bring the program into prominence, directing the training department and overseas operations, and personally training thousands of Instructors in the P.E.T. program. During the time with Gordon, Ralph met Patty Howell, who would become his wife and professional partner for 41 years. A uniquely happy and successful union, he and Patty conducted workshops for parents, teachers, business leaders, and couples. Their original World Class Marriage program became a family of highly esteemed and popular skills-based curricula that include World Class Relationships for Work & Home, Raising World Class Kids, Getting Healthy, Anger Management, among others. These programs are taught in hundreds of community- and faith-based organizations throughout California and around the country. Ralph's contributions were recognized in 2013 by the National Association for Relationship and Marriage Education (NARME) which honored him with the Lifetime Educator Award: "In recognition of dedicating more than 45 years of teaching people across the globe how to have healthy long lasting relationships and marriages." Besides serving as director of World Class Relationships LLC, Ralph spent the past eleven years working for Healthy Relationships California. Much respected for his enduring commitment to the work, he completed his last supervision of the organization's Fatherhood program telephone coaches at 7 p.m. the night before he entered the hospital for his final illness. Besides his great wisdom, Ralph was beloved around the world for his kindness, caring, and unparalleled listening skills. In addition to his wife, he is survived by children, Dana Howard Jones of Rancho Palos Verdes, Bryan Northrup Jones of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and D. Gwyneth Shotwell (husband, Michael) of Sharpsburg, Georgia, along with grandchildren Lauren Shotwell, Allison Shotwell-Habib (Roni), Jessica Jones-Bower (John), Ryan Jones, Ian Jones, and great-grandchildren Eli and Leah Shotwell-Habib. The public is invited to a memorial service in Ralph's honor at Pacific Rim Park on Shelter Island, San Diego, at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2. Contributions in his name would be welcomed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, American Diabetes Association, and Alpha-1 Foundation.