Ralph Kuzawa

Ralph Kuzawa, 80, passed away peacefully at home in Boulder, Colorado, on October 19. Throughout a two-year battle with cancer, Ralph showed his trademark stoicism and stayed busy with ambitious RV trips and repair projects in his home shop. He spent his final days surrounded by family and visited by many friends. Ralph's beloved wife of 41 years, Darlene (nee Zeigler), passed away in 2008, and he is also predeceased by his younger sister, Stephanie Sopinski. He is survived by sister Christine Kozsey, his two children, Marcie Cary of Erie, Colorado, and Christopher Kuzawa of Chicago, Illinois, their spouses Jeremy Cary and Yarrow Axford, and three grandchildren, Allyson Cary, Sean Cary, and Leo Kuzawa. He was a very proud father and grandfather. Ralph was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1943, to Christoper and Sylvia Kuzawa. After graduating from Garfield Heights High School, Ralph joined the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force quickly recognized his mechanical abilities, and trained him in electronics and flight control radar repair. He served at Lowry Airforce in Denver, At Itizuke airbase in Fukuoka, Japan, and finished his enlistment at Nellis Airbase, in Las Vegas, Nevada. His time at Lowry sparked a lifelong passion for Colorado's mountains and exploring the West, and eventually motivated the move years later to Boulder. After his military service in the early 60s, Ralph took a position with Ohio Bell working as a telephone repairman, before signing on with IBM where he worked as a Field Engineer tasked with debugging and fixing mainframes for IBM's corporate clients. That job turned out to be the beginning of a more than 20 year career with IBM, from which he retired in 1992. While at IBM Ralph experienced the rise of the computer age, from fixing mainframes to eventually serving as a software engineer. In retirement, Ralph never slowed down. During his period of self-employment, he renovated his own house and also many rooms for clients, and also built custom cabinetry. He was a careful and skilled craftsman known for his woodwork and for being able to fix almost anything. His extensive home shop was a favorite place to be, second only to hiking in the mountains. Ralph married the love of his life Darlene (nee Zeigler) in 1967. They had known each other as teenagers and spent years exchanging letters during his military service. They honeymooned in Aspen and built a home in Garfield Heights, Ohio, where they started a family. In 1977, they moved with their two children, Chris and Marcie, to Boulder, Colorado, so Ralph could take a new position there with IBM. For the next 32 years until Darlene's passing, they were partners in climbing 14ers and camping in every remote and beautiful corner of Colorado's high country. Ralph will be remembered for so many things: his incredible ability to build or fix just about anything, his eagerness to help out a friend, his willingness to work hard, his beautiful photos of landscapes and family, his near-miraculous recoveries from motorcycle accidents, his pursuit of off-the-grid campsites and good views, and his love of a good deal. He was president of his HOA in Boulder for years, plowed neighborhood paths and sidewalks himself, organized neighborhood recyling drives, and took care of the neighborhood in every way he could. With Darlene, he instilled in his children a love of the outdoors, a strong work ethic, and a deep devotion to family and friends. In these qualities, and in the many beautiful and durable things he built for friends through the years, Ralph will always be with us. A remembrance happy hour will be held in Ralph's honor in Boulder on October 28. Please contact Marcie or Chris for details.