William Samuel Ratcliffe

WILLIAM SAMUEL RATCLIFFE William Samuel "Sam" Ratcliffe, 82, of Higginsville, Missouri, formerly of Lexington, MO, passed away on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Meyer Care Center in Higginsville, MO. A Celebration of Life will take place in the near future. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Wentworth Military Academy Museum, wmamuseum.org, or the Special Forces Association, specialforcesassociation.org. Memorials may be mailed to the funeral home. Memories of Sam and condolences for his family may be left at ledfordfamilyfh.com or on our Facebook Page. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Walker-Nadler-Fuller Funeral Home, 1720 South St., Lexington, MO, 64067, (660)259-2245. Sam was born on December 28, 1942, in Chillicothe, MO, to Walter Ratcliffe and Marguerite (Nickel) Ratcliffe. He graduated from high school in 1960 from Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington. Sam attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree and varsity letters in football and track. On June 20, 1970, Sam was united in marriage to Caroline Barnett Copening in Ft Riley, KS. Sam was a veteran of the United States Army, and he spent ten years on active duty and eleven years with the reserves, serving in Special Forces, Ranger, and Infantry units. Sam spent 26 months in the Republic of Vietnam as a Special Forces "A" detachment executive officer, a Special Forces "A" detachment commander, a senior advisor to a Vietnamese Ranger Battalion, and an advisor to the 2nd ARVN Division Operations Staff. Sam participated in the 1968 Tet Offensive and six campaigns in Vietnam. His military decorations include the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Master Parachutist badge, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. While stationed at Ft Riley, he served as the logistics officer for the funeral of President Eisenhower. While stationed in Okinawa, he served as the ground commander for a joint training exercise with the Army of the Republic of China. Sam was employed by the IBM Corporation in Coral Gables, FL, for twenty years as a marketing representative, systems engineer, and project manager. After retiring from IBM, Sam returned to Wentworth and served as the Commandant, Public Affairs and Development Officer, and as an Instructor, teaching Computer Science, Business, Economics, and Physical Education. Sam also coached Football, Track, and Cross Country at Wentworth. Sam was a member of the Special Forces Association, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Northwest Missouri State "M" Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the Lions Club, and the Turners Society. He served on the Lexington Park Board, the Lexington Planning and Zoning Committee, and he read to pre-school students as a volunteer at the Lexington Early Childhood Center. He is a member of the Wentworth Athletic Hall of Fame, the Wentworth Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame, and he served on the Board of Directors for the Wentworth Military Academy Museum. Sam is survived by his three sons, Robert (Jennifer) Ratcliffe of Boyce, VA, John (Jennifer) Ratcliffe of Gardner, KS, and David (Jessica) Ratcliffe of Hot Springs, AR; and four grandchildren, James Ratcliffe, Robert Ratcliffe, Samuel Ratcliffe, and Anna Ratcliffe. Sam was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Marguerite, his wife, Caroline, and his grandson, Isaac Ratcliffe.