Ralph Reichmann

1929 - 2025

Ralph Reichmann passed away unexpectedly at the grand age of 96.5 years with loving family by his side in Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Many friends supported him during his last days. He was born in Iowa in 1929, to Herman and Marion Reichmann. Ralph arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska, at the age of 13 to join his father who represented Green Construction Company in Alaska.
Fascinated by aviation his whole life, Ralph earned his pilot license as soon as he could at the age of 16. His love of aviation continued when he took a helicopter lesson in New Zealand and was able to take the controls for most of the lesson at the age of 89. Ralph attended Fairbanks High School where he made many life-long friends and met his first wife, Virginia Parry, mother of his four children.
A proud veteran, Ralph joined the Navy in the late 1940's, with assignments on ships in China and Japan, and on shore in Hawaii and San Diego. In 1949, while on duty with the USS Diachenko, he and his shore party were detained for several months by the communists in Shanghai before the Red Cross arranged for a flight that took his group plus journalists and other civilians to Hong Kong where he rejoined his ship.
After leaving the Navy, Ralph moved back to Alaska for a time before accepting a job that took him to Japan where he met his wife of the next 58 years, Hisako Corky Matsuda. They left Japan for Fairbanks in 1960, making it their home for the rest of their lives. He spent many years as the facilities superintendent at the Fairbanks International Airport. After retiring, he continued to work with his good friend, Steve, owner of Spaulding Sports, with whom he had many great boating, hunting and fishing adventures.
Ralph was a man of many interests and delighted in learning all he could about his latest passion whether it was aviation, gardening, bee keeping, making beer and wine, or becoming adept at all things electronic or computer oriented. He was an accomplished cook who made himself delicious balanced meals and sent photos of his composed dinners to his children so we could see he was eating well, right up to the night before he went into the hospital. He still lived independently in his home in Fairbanks and was still safely driving. He made regular shopping trips where he got his exercise pushing the cart all around the store. Ralph challenged himself each morning to see if he could complete the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner crossword puzzle before his first cup of coffee cooled. He was an historian of Fairbanks history, and could tell stories all day long.
Ralph loved Hawaii after living there in the early 1950's. He and Corky would take an annual trip to Waikiki until retirement when they began to visit twice a year. After Corky's death, he would meet his son and daughter in Kauai every November, then spend the holidays in Kodiak where he also traveled throughout the year to go fishing and enjoy the Kodiak Crab Fest. He had a host of friends in Kodiak who will miss him.
He was a long time member of the Alaska Club until Covid changed the social aspect of the gym for him, so he began the tradition of a Thursday gathering with his group of friends. He loved those social times that also included Friday morning coffee group at McCafferty's, and Saturday dinner with his friends after church. Ralph converted to Catholicism at the age of 88, and he was a devout follower until his death.
Ralph was predeceased by his his lifelong wife and partner, Corky; parents, Herman and Marion; his son, Robert; his first wife, Virginia; and his sister, Nancy Anderson. He is survived by his children, Richard (Carla) Reichmann, Randy Reichmann (Dan) Busch and William (Lora) Brown; eight grandchildren; many great- and great-great- grandchildren and an abundance of caring Fairbanks friends whose love and support were a blessing to his life.
A funeral mass followed by a repast will be held in late April 2026, when his family can attend. Condolences may be mailed to PO Box 1162, Kodiak, AK, 99615. If anyone would like to make a donation in his honor, he was a supporter of the Immaculate Conception Church Soup Kitchen, 115 N Cushman St, Fairbanks, AK, 99701.