Ralph See, 95, and Dorothea See, 94
Ralph Glen See, 95 passed away June 16, 2017, in Huntsville, Texas. Born Jan. 16, 1922, in Oak Park, Ill., he was the son of Frend and Elizabeth (Burrell) See, who formerly lived on 135th Avenue in East Saugatuck.
Ralph grew up in Elmhurst, Ill., where he graduated from high school. He was a World War II Navy veteran, having served two years in the 83rd Construction Battalion in Trinidad, from which he drew many colorful stories.
His wife Dorothea See passed away Dec. 12, 2016, in Conroe, Texas. She was born Dorothea Kathleen Batting in Weir Cove, W. Va., on Nov. 9, 1922, daughter of Charles G. Batting and Ada F. Carson. She was raised in Steubenville, Ohio.
Ralph and Dorothea met in Douglas soon after the war. They married in Holland in 1948 and lived continuously in Saugatuck from about 1953-1979. They were members of the United Methodist Church and their four children graduated from SHS.
Ralph serviced televisions, first for Sears in Holland, and later on his own. He also collected books, coins and antiques.
Dorothea was an administrative assistant at Lloyd J. Harris Pie Company for 11 years. She enjoyed crafts and painting.
In 1979 they retired, first to the Upper Peninsula in a remote tract between Newberry and Pine Stump Junction, then in the mid-1980s settled in Graham County, N.C. where they chilled out at their “cozy nook by a babbling brook” in the Smokey Mountains for nearly 30 years.
Their marriage lasted 68 years, 38 of which were spent in retirement, and all but the last several in decent health. For the last few years they had been in assisted living close to their surviving daughter Kathleen (Mark) Calkin of Huntsville, Texas. Their son David (Lynn) See lives in New York, N.Y.
Ralph and Dorothea were preceded in death by daughters Evelyn See (2001) and Carol Thorpe (2012).
They are survived by grandsons Joshua, Sam and Thomas Calkin; step-granddaughter Vanessa (Dean) Adia of Benbrook, Texas; granddaughter Katie (Shannon) Girdham of Novi; and twin great-grandsons.
Dorothea is interred at Houston National Cemetery. Ralph’s memorial service will take place there on July 5.
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