Ralph was born on May 16, 1925, in Spencer, to the late Ralph and Minnie Simmons.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Catherine, to whom he was married for 46 years.

Ralph is survived by his daughter, Marilyn Fox; sons, David, Lonnie and Philip Simmons; grandchildren, Melissa and James Fox; Robert, David Shawn and Michael Simmons; and Sarah Hicks; and 8 great grandchildren. He also is survived by his sisters, Nancy Elrod and Gladys "Doll" James.

A couple of months after turning 18, he joined the United States Army during World War II. After returning home from the war, he worked as a millwright for Union Carbide until his retirement. Once he retired, Ralph became a regular with the Dunbar McDonald's crew, a group of other retirees, including his long time close friend Kenneth Arnott, who drank coffee and solved all of the world's problems on a daily basis.

Although he worked had all of his life, Ralph always made time to go fishing whenever he could. He really enjoyed fishing as well as the fish stories with pictures he would share repeatedly when he returned from his latest trip. Throughout his life, Ralph always taught his children to work hard, enjoy life, get a good education, read on a regular basis and never complain about anything.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Keller Funeral Home in Dunbar,. Family and friends may show their respect on April 9, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The funeral will be held on April 10, with services beginning at 10:00am at the funeral home.

The family thanks all of the nurses, employees and staff at The Sweetbriar in Dunbar, who helped Dad enjoy the final years of his life. The family also thanks the doctors, nurses, employees and volunteers at the Hubbard Hospice House West in South Charleston for making Dad's final days on this earth as comfortable as possible.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to HospiceCare, 1606 Kanawha Blvd., West, Charleston, WV 25387-2536 ( www.hospicecarewv.org ) or your favorite charity.