David R. Ramsey Sr.

1932 - 2022

David R. Ramsey, Sr. passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, July 2, 2022. Born on November 3, 1932, in Mary D, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, David was the son of Orah R. (Springer) Weyandt and Benjamin F. Ramsey. David married Janet L. Kauffman in November 1956. They were married for over thirty-five years when Janet passed away in March of 1992. David married his second wife, Carolyn Trevorrow in May of 1996. Carolyn passed away in May of 2011. David is survived by his five children: Cathy (David) Fales of Barrington; Thomas (Susan) Ramsey of Simpsonville, SC; Shelley (Ted) Zimmerman of Seekonk, MA; Carol (Michael) Minardi of Barrington; and David Jr. (Therese) Ramsey of Penacook, NH. David is also survived by his twelve grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He is survived by his brother Joseph Ramsey of Katy, Texas and predeceased by his parents as well as his sisters: Anna J. Waselefsky; Florence (Dolly) Drumheller; and Hazel and Alva Ramsey. Two brothers predeceased David, Alfred Schaeffer, and Albert Ramsey.

David's first job was to sweep the floor of the local barbershop at the age of eight. He delivered newspapers and milk as a junior high and high school student. The money he earned at these jobs went to help support his family. David graduated from Tamaqua High School in 1950 after which he, his brother, Joe, sister, Dolly, and their mother moved to Reading, Pennsylvania. He worked in a shoe factory, at a battery factory, was a lab technician at Atlas Powder Co. in Delaware, a clerk/stockboy/delivery boy at a pharmacy in Delaware, a salesman for Eagle Soap and Chemical Co., Dixon Chemical Co., and finished his career at Essex Chemical Co./Peridot Chemical Co. where he worked for over thirty years. David retired in 1994 as a Vice President of Sales for Essex Chemical Co./Peridot Chemical Co. David served in the Army as a medic and was stationed in Germany at the end of the Korean Conflict. David was transferred to RI from Reading, PA to be the regional sales manager for Essex Chemical Co. in January 1967. He and Janet raised their family in Barrington, RI. In 1982 David was transferred back to NJ for Essex Chemical living there during the week and returning home to Barrington on weekends. Four years after Janet passed away, David moved to Ocean City, NJ and then to Rehoboth Beach, DE with his second wife, Carolyn. He was a member of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior where he served as property chairman. In Delaware, he was also a member of a gospel choir which sang at nursing homes. David was a Life Member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. He was a past Exalted Ruler of the Cape Henlopen Elks Lodge in Lewes, DE. David was an active member of this lodge delivering clothing to veterans, volunteering as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, and visiting veterans at Walter Reed Army Hospital. David was currently a member of the Bristol County Elks Lodge in Bristol, RI. Prior to moving to Delaware and upon his return, David was a member of St. James Lutheran Church, Barrington, RI where he was a former choir member, stewardship chairman, and property chairman.

A Visitation will be held on Friday, July 29, 2022, at St. James Lutheran Church, 49 Middle Highway, Barrington, RI from 4-7pm. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in David's name to a charity of your choice.