Ralph Cleveland Cross, 85, passed away in his home Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. He was born in Cordele, Ga., on Oct. 2, 1931, and grew up in Macon, Ga.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Sherry Maine Cross; his daughter, Gina Townsend (Mark) of Fernandina Beach; grandson, Justin Cross (Nichole) of Atlanta; granddaughter, April Hyers (Jeremy) of Fernandina Beach; granddaughter, Alissa Warlick; grandsons, Ryan and Matthew Warlick (Stephanie) of Chattanooga, Tenn.; great-grandchildren, Tyler Hyers, Bodhi Cross, Brieanna, Braxton, Maddox and Cruz Warlick; nephews, Jesse Griffin (Ann) of Macon, and Roscoe Cross (Judy) of Palm Bay; brother-in-law, Freddie Mayne (Sue) of Dothan, Ala., and his beloved Wiemaraner, Sophie.
Mr. Cross was preceded in death by his parents, Owen and Ella Cross; his brother, Roscoe Cross; sister, Mildred Griffin; and son, Robert Warlick.
Ralph served four years in the U.S. Air Force. While stationed in Tripoli, North Africa, during the Korean War, he operated the MARS radio station, running high-ranking military traffic around the globe during normal hours (AJ5AC) and then running personnel phone patches stateside after hours (5A2TZ). Ralph received his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from the University of Georgia and taught there for four years. He completed five years of classes in 3.5 years, finishing with an A in undergraduate and an A-plus in graduate school. He graduated with honors and received membership in four national honor societies, of which one was for single highest freshman of the year and another for highest senior business graduate of the year.
Ralph retired from two multinational corporations, Owens-Illinois Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, and Lily-Tulip Cup Corp. of Toledo and Augusta, Ga. He and his CEO orchestrated the buyout of Lily-Tulip division of O-I, taking that division private in 1981. He served as vice president – financial and administration on the board of directors and the executive board of the new Lily Cup Corp.
In the early ’70s, Ralph was involved in the Boy Scouts of America as a Scoutmaster. He was named director of the Northwest District of the BSA while living in Ohio. He loved to hunt and organized the Withlacoochee Hunting Club near Valdosta, Ga. Later in life, he continued hunting through the lens of his camera. His beautiful wildlife photography is being enjoyed by many.
The Crosses enjoyed traveling in their motor home, which took them to 49 states, along with their miniature Pinscher pups, Brandy and Coco. The highlight of their camping days was the three months they spent in Alaska. After retiring in 1984 due to his health, Ralph and his wife moved to Fernandina Beach, where they lived for 21 years. He opened the Ice Cream Gallery on Centre Street and enjoyed volunteering for the community. He was president and on the board of the Island Art Association and the Nassau County Arts Alliance. He chaired the Fernandina Beach Housing Authority, chartered the Nassau County October Fest, served on the annual Shrimp Festival Committee, and was active in the GOP. Ralph was influential in bringing soccer to the youth of Amelia Island.
In 2005 the Crosses moved to Dothan, where they are members of Tabernacle United Methodist Church. Ralph enjoyed working with other retirees at Deanco Auto Auction. He was an avid UGA Dawgs fan and a true patriot who loved his country. He was a friend to everyone he met. Ralph, Pops, Papa, PopPop will be greatly missed.
A Celebration of Life was held, Saturday, Feb. 18, at Tabernacle United Methodist Church, Dothan. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta, Ga.
Donations may be made in Ralph’s memory to Operation Smile, P.O. Box 5017, Hagerstown, MD 21741; or to Tabernacle United Methodist Church, 4205 S. Brannon Stand Road, Dothan, AL 36305.