Ralph McLaughlin

Ralph McLaughlin

March 15, 1932 - February 26, 2024

Concord, North Carolina - CONCORD, NC – Ralph Henry McLaughlin, 91, died Monday, Feb. 26, at Taylor Glen Retirement Center of Concord. He was surrounded by the love of his family, in person and in spirit. Born in Newell on March 15, 1932, he was the son of the late John T. and Maude Estelle Utley McLaughlin.

Services will be Monday, March 4, at Back Creek Presbyterian Church, 1821 Back Creek Church Road, in Charlotte. The family will receive friends at 2 p.m. with the funeral service at 3.

He is survived by his wife of 11 years, Lorna Gay McLaughlin; children Linda McLaughlin LaRose and husband Paul of Lenoir, Donna McLaughlin Otto and husband Robert of Vero Beach, FL, Michael McLaughlin of Raleigh, Patrick McLaughlin of Durham, Beth McLaughlin and partner Jeff Nicoll of Durham; stepson Josh King and wife Laura of Concord; grandchildren Melanie and Billy Pierce of Raleigh, Michael and Meghan Poole of Louisburg, Crystal Otto Illidge of Vero Beach, FL, Rachel Dye of Lenoir, John McLaughlin of Raleigh, Claire McLaughlin Proum and husband Kevin of Chapel Hill, Matthew McLaughlin and wife Sarah of Durham and Switzerland. Ralph is also survived by great-grandchildren Abby and Gracie Pierce of Raleigh, Charlotte Illidge of Vero Beach, FL, and Jackson Thompson of Lenoir; sister-in-law Shirley McLaughlin of Fort Mill, SC; and step-granddaughter Bella King of Concord

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Peggy Love McLaughlin; son John McLaughlin; daughters-in-law Diane McLaughlin and Noel Todd McLaughlin and son-in-law Jim Snead; brothers John Bell McLaughlin, Isaac Grier McLaughlin, Brice Cochran McLaughlin, James Wright McLaughlin, and Joseph Edward McLaughlin.

He struggled valiantly to make it to his 92nd birthday. After a year in hospice care, he failed to meet his goal by three weeks.

Born into the family's dairy farm trade, he learned hard work at a young age. His father died when Ralph was 12 years old, and with his eldest brother taking the lead, the McLaughlin boys and their mother run the farm. The family were faithful members of Back Creek Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Ralph grew up to serve the church first as a deacon and then an elder. He also served as chair of the cemetery committee.

As a young adult he left the farm to work for American Breeders Service, where he bred thousands of cows. Later he went to work driving a gasoline tanker for Gulf Oil Corporation. He was promoted to dispatcher, then bulk plant manager and retired as regional manager over the Charlotte and Greensboro tank farms after Gulf was acquired by British Petroleum.

Ralph was known widely in the Queen City as that middle-aged man who – rain or shine – ran 10 miles a day around northeast Charlotte – 15 if he were training for a marathon.

Before he hung up his Nikes he had run well over a half-dozen marathons, including the inaugural Charlotte Observer Marathon, the uphill-all-the-way Grandfather Mountain Marathon, and in 1978 the storied Boston Marathon, which, at age 46, he completed in 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Ralph was a sports fanatic, pulling for the UNC Tar Heel basketball, baseball, and football teams, as well as the San Francisco Giants baseball team. He made yearly trips to Florida to watch spring training games.

He enjoyed gardening; being walked by his dogs on Union Street in Concord; his cat, Rounder; newspapers, TV and magazines related to current events; grassroots politics; the Lions Club; and spinning at the Sports Center of Concord, an activity he took up in his 70s.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Mercy Team of Back Creek Presbyterian Church, 1821 Back Creek Church Road, Charlotte, NC, 28213, or your favorite charity.

Online condolence may be made at www.wilkinsonfuneralhome.com.