Ralph Edward Frampton

Ralph E. Frampton, passed away at his home in Lisle, IL on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the age of 78. He was born July 6, 1944, in Transfer, PA. He was preceded in death by his parents Dorothy Mae Heile Frampton & Wade Hampton Frampton & his brother Leroy (Buster) Frampton. Ralph grew up in Transfer & attended Transfer elementary & Middle Schools & was the first graduating class from Reynolds High School. He attended Youngstown University graduating with a BE Civil Engineering degree in 1967. He went on for his master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University graduating with a MS Structural Engineering degree in 1968. He also attended Illinois Institute of Technology working on his PHD from 1969 to 1971, taking advanced Engineering Structural Design Courses. He worked the summers of 1966 & 1968 for Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) Company in Greenville, PA. After his graduation he was hired by CB&I at the Plainfield Research Center in Plainfield, IL, in March 1968, where he worked for 13 years. In February 1981 he transferred to CB&I corporate offices, Design Engineering Department, in Oak Brook, IL, where he worked until mid-July, 1985, settling into his home in Lisle, IL. He was able to retire from working full time & live the life he loved - helping his friends & family in many ways, while remaining in demand as a consultant on projects needing the best in the field. He worked on the USS Midway project, Penstock hydroelectric project & the Good Samaritan Hospital expansion project, to name a few.

Ralph spent many summers in his 20's & 30's at Miner's Bay Lodge in Haliburton, Ontario with family & a rotating cast of rabble rousing friends! It was here that he discovered his love of cut off jean shorts, fireworks & the art of telling stories that could make anyone laugh. His sense of humor was legendary to all who knew & loved him. His home in Lisle quickly became the neighborhood hangout spot for anyone looking for a laugh, some stories & a beer or two. Ralph realized early on that he needed to install a vending machine to provide the afternoon beers for the drop in crowd. Everyone soon figured out to bring their own quarters or go home thirsty! He became well known to all of the neighbors the year he started his "Toiletrie Company"- an actual toilet in a tree in his backyard that was a drive by attraction for many years. His two pride & joys were his beloved dog, an afghan named Mariah & his green 1970 Corvette. He also loved to show off his lengthy grocery store receipts that showed just how many frozen tv dinners he could get for next to nothing, using his couponing skills & store rebate days. On most days, he could be found in the yard, working on his weeding or sitting in the driveway, just waiting for the next friend to stop by.

In addition to his sense of humor, Ralph was generous to a fault to anyone in need. He was a loyal friend & great mentor to so many throughout the years. If he did not have an answer to your problem, he would meticulously research any issue & do his best to provide an answer or resolution. With no law or accounting degree, he was able to help many friends without ever asking anything in return. He was also the first to volunteer his time, tools & expertise if there were auto, electric, plumbing or tiling projects to be done. Always free of charge & done right!

Ralph is survived by his brother Dave & his wife Dolores (Dolly) Korbini Frampton (DE) & their children Darrin & Debbie Steinwandel Frampton, their son Tyler and daughter Maddie (PA), Doug & Lisa Krumin Frampton (DE) & Denise Frampton (DE). He survived by numerous Cousins from the Bergstrom, Heile & Morrison families. We would also like to recognize the long lasting friendships he developed over the 55 years that he lived in Westmont & Lisle, IL. We are grateful they played such an important part of his life. Ralph was many things - eccentric, hilarious, frugal & whip smart with a heart of gold. He will be missed greatly. We thank each & every one of his friends for reaching out with memories & one last story to share.