"Dean" Ralph Nixon Manuel  passed peacefully in the Byrne Center at Dartmouth Medical Center November 15, 2024.

Ralph was born in Brunswick, Maryland in 1936 to Ralph Walter Manuel and Frances Nixon Manuel, and is survived by his sister, Rebecca Millar, Cumberland, Maryland. He grew up on A street, a few houses down from the tank if you make a visit, graduating from Brunswick High School after a childhood filled with baseball and dreams of playing for his beloved Detroit Tigers (alas, it was pre-expansion, and he did not get the call).

In 1954 Ralph stepped off a bus in Hanover, New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth College, and though he took a few detours over the last 70 years, from that moment forward his heart never left the Upper Valley. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1958, and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii to fulfill his NROTC service requirement. It was in Hawaii that he met Sarah “Sally” Jane Warner, the love of his life, and mother of his four children: Mark (Jennifer), Stephen (Nicole), David (Jane) and Bradley (Carolyn).

Ralph and Sally had just enough time to marry in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin in 1960 before deploying to London for their first of many adventures together, living in a flat, and travelling Europe when Ralph wasn’t out to sea.

Ralph was excited about a long career in the Navy until Sally became pregnant with Mark. He entered the Navy Reserves, serving honorably for two more decades, and he and Sally moved to Hanover in 1962 for a job in the Dartmouth College admissions office. Ralph worked at Dartmouth for the next 20 years, though he would not say he “worked” at all, loving every minute he spent in the service of the college.

In 1982 he took his family and passion to Culver, Indiana to lead the Culver Academies for the next 17 years. Ralph and Sally retired in 1999, moving back to Hanover for the final time.

Ralph loved many things, none more than his wife and partner for 64 years, Sally. He loved his children and his grandchildren; Ben (Rachel), Andrew (Sophie), William, Sawyer, Holden, Hannah (Joe), Elizabeth, Faith, Abby and great-granddaughter Louisa. Ralph loved people and life, and whether it was taking his annual fly-fishing trip, or sitting in the cold springs of New England to watch Dartmouth baseball games, Ralph enjoyed being outside in nature and with people. He often said that he could not believe a boy growing up in the small town that he did would live such a fantastic and fulfilling life.

When his sons turned 10, Ralph ordered a fly rod kit, working with each of his children over that winter to build a rod in preparation for their first fishing trip with him. It was meticulous work, winding thread to secure the eyelets. Glueing the thread to the rod with coats of sealant. It took hours, hours that Ralph got to spend with each of his children, one on one, teaching them to earn their spot on the trip, and the reward of honest work. Ralph tried to teach this to everyone; spend time with each other, love what you do, work hard and earn your place.

Help us celebrate Ralph Manuel’s life with a service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 11:00am. Reception to follow.

 

View/Sign Guestbook