Raphael Ross III

Raphael (Ralph) Ross III died on October 27, 2025, at the age of 80. The son of Raphael Ross Jr., MD, and Mary Sinclair Ross, he was born in 1945 in New Orleans and grew up in Old Metairie. From his first car, a Triumph TR-3, to the 1954 R-Type Bentley he brought back from London, he was known as "a British car guy," and he was an accomplished "Mr. Fix-It."

A graduate of Saint Martin's Episcopal School, he earned his bachelor's at Southeastern Louisiana University and a master's in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech. Ralph joined the Navy and was commissioned as an officer in July 1968. He served tours in Washington, D.C. and London as a database manager and analyst at the Navy Central Software Development Center, as well as on a Joint Chiefs of Staff technical committee. In 1974, he returned to civilian life but remained an intelligence officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve until his retirement as a Captain in 1991. As a reservist, he was stationed primarily at the Belle Chasse Naval Air Station and served as commanding officer of a Naval Criminal Investigative Service Reserve unit.

Ralph then began a career in banking, joining First Guaranty Bank in Hammond where he rose to the rank of president. He later joined Oak Tree Capital, a federal contractor engaged to take over failed savings and loans from Florida to California and market or restore them. In 1998, Ralph joined Oracle as a managing principal consultant, working to implement classroom and student management systems at universities in many states. In 2005, to keep a little busy during retirement, he began teaching a couple of management classes at SLU's College of Business.

A passionate advocate for historic preservation, Ralph served on the City of Hammond's Planning and Zoning Commission from 2009 to 2016, as well as on the city's Board of Adjustment. He played leadership roles in multiple city, parish, and state organizations during his life. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Hammond, Tau Alpha Omega, and former president of the Hammond Rotary Club.

Ralph is survived by his belovèd bride of 58 years, Nina Shaw Ross; their sons, T. Carter (Evelin Letarte) and Andrew (Niki); and four grandchildren, Anna, Lucy, Celeste, and Quinlan; as well as a brother, Randy (Deb) in Canandaigua, N.Y.

A celebration of his life will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Hammond on Saturday, November 1; visitation from 12 to 2 p.m. followed by a service. A private interment will follow at Lake Lawn in New Orleans. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Fisher House Foundation, which supports military and veteran families with travel and lodging while a loved one is in the hospital, or a charity of your choice.