Joe Rodriguez

Ralph was one of my best and truest friends.  He was one of the friendliest guys you'd ever meet.  He could talk to anyone and make them feel they knew him and could relate to him instantly.  I guess you could say he had the gift of gab, but I think he was the greatest B..S..'er I ever knew. After HS we were roommates at UCSB...we had great times.  After college he lived next door to my folks with Laurie and Nick for over ten years.  He was a son and brother to the members of my family.  While he was at SMC he worked at the Civic Auditorium part time.  He could usually give me an unsold ticket or let me in the side door when no one was looking.  I always imagine Ralphie to be in heaven...kind of like a social director, and helping those who need a ticket get in or let them in the side door when no one is looking.   

Deborah Hile (Saenz)

Ralph was the love of my life in high school.  He was such a clown, that at times it was hard having a "serious" conversation with him!  He just thought everything was funny.  He was so popular, and knew it!  He wasn't the most humble person I knew, but, that was Ralph, bigger then life!  Life back then was funny though, I ended up married to someone else, he went off to college, then he got married and as so often happens, we drifted apart.  Many years later as "singles" again, we re-connected and enjoyed an easy relationship.  Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.  I was devistated. I wished I could have seen and talked with him one last time, but that was not what God had planned for us.  I will always remember the dances we went to, the way he could sing, (he had such a beautiful voice), A & W Rootbeer with the "gang",  his football games (#72, rah, rah, rah), his brown courdory jacket, his green Studebaker with the wood (yes, wood!) bumper, the double dates with C & C, the beach, 3rd Street, Junior prom, and so many more,...Memories that I am thankful will last a lifetime.  I will always remember you Ralph, you were a part of the fabric of my life at St. Mo's!

Jonathan Klune

Ralph and I played football together as freshman and sophmores. He was the tackle and I was the tight end position. In our junior year Mike Naverette and I were the only classmates old enough to drive our own cars to school. Ralph was one of the guys that I hung out with after school, We drove everywhere. Since he didn't own a car, he let me drive Debbie Hile and himself to partys and the beach ect. I was his ride. Both of them seemed to be sweethearts. 

After high school, I enlisted in the Navy. Sometime after I got out of the service. Ralph got married to a white girl from college who I never heard of, named Laurie and they had a little red head boy. Ralph moved next door to Joe Rodriguez' parents and he gained alot of weight. All this was new to me. A few years later I heard that he died. I was shocked that he died so young.

He always seemed star stuck that my grandparents and dad were big shots in the movie business. I tried to hide in the shadow of fame. I loved just being a regular student at St Monicas. I have nothing but good memories of Ralph. He and I shared humor with all our classmates. Humor was the common factor we shared. I often think of him.

Gary Nitti

Ralph was a blast. Great sense of humor, always ready to have a good time. He challenged me to a drag race on Santa Monica Blvd. about 11pm one night - and his "low rider" lost to my 1963 Pontiac station wagon. He was not happy. He came to me when he started to have problems with his heart and we talked for a while about possible interventions - if I recall correctly he really needed a transplant but that was not in the cards. Even when he knew his situation was dire he did not lose his optimistic spirit. A real gem.