Ralph James Roode, a 27 year Irvine (California) resident, died May 12, 1999, after a short illness. He was 76. A private memorial service was held on May 14th.

Mr. Roode was born on July 22, 1922, in Donora, Pennsylvania, the 9th of 10 children. He grew up in Donora and attended Washington and Jefferson college where he received a degree in Physics. After 2 years in the navy during the last part of World War II, he went on to attend The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio, where he earned Masters degrees in Physics and Education. He met Maryanne Gardner while attending OSU; the two married in 1950.

After teaching High School for a year in Johnstown. Ohio, Mr. Roode started a career in the technology and aerospace industry that spanned 25 years and took him and his family from Columbus, Ohio to: Fort Wayne, Indiana; Baltimore, Maryland; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; Santa Barbara, California; Richardson, Texas; and Cincinnati, Ohio. He settled in Irvine in 1971 where he accepted a position at Ford Aeroneutronics. His other employers over the years included Battelle Memorial Institute, Philco-Ford, the Santa Barbara Research Center, and Texas Instruments. In 1974, Mr. Roode entered semi-retirement after Ford left the aerospace industry. During this period he followed various pursuits including running his own television repair business, managing a Radio Shack store, serving as Radio Shack’s Western U. S. Quality Control Manager, and working for Radio Shack’s electronics repair division in Garden Grove. He retired in 1985.

Mr. Roode was an avid amateur radio operator, holding FCC license K6VO at the time of his death. He received his first “ham” license in 1938 at the age of 16 and assembled a radio station in his Mother’s attic using equipment he built. He enjoyed building and experimenting with electronics and antennas, and spent much of the last 10 years of his life enjoying his hobby, which he shared with his sons. He also liked classical music, feeding the birds, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Ralph is survived by his wife Maryanne of Irvine; his children David, Dana (K6NR), Malcolm (KF6GZH), Becky, and Brian (KA6CCF); his daughter-in-law Carmen (KB6QFO); his grandchildren Stephanie, Christopher, Scott, Adria, Natalie, Alexander and Nolan; his brother Albert of Utica, Pennsylvania; his sister Ethel Stone of Bradenton, Florida, and many nephews and nieces.