Ralph Gher Jr.

1925 - 2015

GHER, Jr., Ralph 1925-2015 Ralph Gher, Jr., 89, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, died peacefully Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at Park Springs Retirement Community. He was born March 30, 1925 to the late Ralph Giles Gher and Beaulah (Clark) Gher in Urbana, Illinois. Ralph was the fourth of seven children, and often spoke affectionately of his childhood. He enjoyed school, and attended Urbana High School. During his time there, he played basketball, served as the senior play stage manager, and was a first French horn in the band, where he helped them win a State of Illinois French Horn Ensemble contest. Ralph entered the U.S. Naval Air Cadet program during World War II where he went through flight school in Pensacola, FL. At the end of the war, he returned to Urbana to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and completed his education attaining an AB/BA, MS, and PhD in Chemistry. While in college, Ralph was published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry with his mentor and advisor, Dr. L. F. Audrieth, and became a member of the Phi Delta Gamma fraternity. Ralph met his late wife, Anne Noble Gher, at the University of Illinois, and they were married at University Place Christian Church in Champaign, Illinois on September 6, 1947. After graduation, in 1952, he joined 3M Company in St. Paul, MN as a chemist. He transferred to sales in the chemical division of the company, where he enjoyed working with clients by helping them solve problems with innovative 3M products. Ralph's career spanned 34 years, and he retired from the company as an executive sales manager in May of 1986. Ralph loved traveling for both work and pleasure, reading history novels, gardening, fishing, spending time with family, and he especially enjoyed playing golf. He was a member of the Country Club of Roswell for 26 years and hit a hole-in-one at the Berkeley Hills Country Club while a member there in the 1970s. After retiring, Ralph marshalled numerous golf tournaments in the Atlanta area. Ralph was a life-long member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He was a member of the First Christian Church of Atlanta for 50 years where he served as an elder, Sunday school teacher, historian, and choir member. Ralph was preceded in death by his wife, Anne, and by his brothers, Harold W. Gher, Wayne C. Gher, and his sister Betty (Gher) Poor. He is survived by his daughter, Lesley (Gher) Richardson, son, David C. Gher, granddaughter, Kelley A. Richardson, son-in-law Patrick L. Richardson, sisters Virginia (Gher) Train, Peggy (Gher) Duck, and brother Alfred M. Gher, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. Ralph's memorial will be planned for at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the First Christian Church of Atlanta in Tucker, Georgia. A. S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory.