Ralf Conrad

Ralf Karl-Erich Conrad passed away on October 21, 2024.
He was born on July 23, 1962, in Duisburg, Germany to Margret and the late Horst Conrad. After high school he chose the trade of his father and became a master butcher back home in Germany.
After his father's early passing, Ralf took over the family business at only 20 years of age and ran it for several years before selling the business to explore other business adventures including an event bar in Germany and a candy business in England, where he moved his little family to in 2005 for a few years. When he moved to the states in 2008, his main focus was on the candy industry and established a very successful business with several employees in Dover, DE and finally settled his family on their dream property in rural Delaware. Being a true entrepreneur, he was never done recreating himself and always looking for new opportunities, which led him to the koi fish business which evolved from a hobby and was about to take off at the time of his passing.
Next to his koi fish hobby, he had enjoyed fishing for his entire life with various fishing trips all over Europe, as well as traveling to exotic destinations like Mexico and the Philippines. He was a true foodie and enjoyed a lot of international cuisines like Thai food, but his favorite was a good rib eye. He also every now and then still let his old butcher skills shine and homemade various sausages after the hundreds of German recipes he knew from memory, for his home use and his friends. He was also an enthusiastic soccer fan and wouldn't miss a single game of his favorite team Borussia Moenchengladbach as well as the entire Bundesliga, Champions League and all international tournaments.
Ralf's biggest pride was his only daughter Lilly. He would tell everyone he spoke to, about her and her amazing achievements and aspirations for life. He would light up when talking about her beauty and brilliance.
He was preceded in death by his father Horst Conrad, paternal grandmother Bella Conrad and maternal grandparents Erich & Lilli Lenders.
Ralf is survived by his wife Janine Altenkirch, married in Elkton, MD in 2015, their daughter Lilly Altenkirch, his mother Margret Conrad, residing in Rosas, Spain, with partner Ludwig Hahn, and his brother Frank Conrad, residing in Solingen, Germany, with wife Andrea Conrad. He is also survived by his Parents in law Olaf and Astrid Altenkirch, residing in Warnemuende, Germany and sister in law Julia Altenkirch, residing in Geestland, Germany, with partner Kadir Soytuerk.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at Daniels & Hutchison, 212 N. Broad St., Middletown, DE, 19709. Friends may visit from 4-5pm and are welcome to stay for the following memorial service. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-janine-cover-funeral-and-lawyer-fees?attribution_id=sl:a195eeb7-5fd6-44b5-a452-3ad87a332ef8&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_ft&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link