Ralph J. Rowley, 82, of Georgetown, passed away on Tuesday, December 9, 2014. Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2014 from 4:00PM to 6:00PM at The Gabriels Funeral Chapel, 393 North IH 35, Georgetown, TX with a Rosary being recited at 5:00pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, December 19, 2014 at 1pm at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 340 Stanford St., Brush, Colorado 80723. Interment to follow at Brush Memorial Cemetery in Brush, CO. Ralph James Rowley was born January 3, 1932, in Wray, CO, the son of James Everett and Mary Lillian (Tustin) Rowley. Ralph grew up in Yuma County, CO. In 1943, his parents moved to Manitou Springs, CO, but due to a health problem Ralph moved back to the farm home of his grandparents, Orval and Ethel Tustin, near Eckley, CO. where he lived until 1946. Ralph loved the times he spent on his grandparent's farm working side by side with his grandfather and his uncle, Jake Tustin, two years his senior. Ralph graduated from Eckley High School in 1949, and in 1950 he joined the U.S. Army, spending 30 months in Tokyo, Japan, as a map maker. After his discharge from military service, Ralph entered the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley. His mother, He and his mother, Mary, both graduated from there in the same class in 1958 with their BS degree in Education. When Ralph received his college degree he had already been teaching for three years at Akron, CO. Ralph and Luella Jane Goble were married on January 29, 1957 in Akron. They were the parents of seven children. She preceded him in death in October 1982. Following his college graduation Ralph taught fifth and sixth grade students in Akron and Ft. Morgan, CO., until moving to Belleville, KS in September 1978, to teach building trades at the high school for three years. In 1981, the family moved to Meade, KS when Ralph accepted the position of building trades teacher at Meade High School where he taught until his retirement in 1999. During his teaching tenure at Meade his students built 14 houses which were constructed on site at the high school and were auctioned off on the last day of school, to be moved to the site chosen by the buyer. This program was self-supported by the sale of the houses. Ralph and Joyce E. Folger were married June 2, 1984, in Meade, KS, and made their home in Dodge City KS., until October 2003 when they moved to Georgetown, TX. Ralph became a member of the Catholic faith in 1951 while stationed in Tokyo and remained an active member as long as his health permitted. He was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church of Georgetown, was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus and served as Faithful Navigator of the Fourth Degree Knights in Dodge City. He was a long time member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. While attending the University in Colorado he was a member of the Newman Club, a club composed of Catholic students. Ralph was preceded in death by his first wife, Jane, and his parents. Survivors include his wife, Joyce; two sons, Jeffrey, Denver CO, and Roger of Brush CO; five daughters: Mary Jane and husband Mark Clayton of Ault, CO, Meg and husband Brad Henderson of Brush, CO, Agnes and husband Ron Gosselin of Topeka, KS, Nancy Williams of Topeka, KS, and Roxanne Rowley of Bozeman, MT; three stepdaughters, Terri and husband Dan Popejoy of Georgetown, TX, Tracey Nix and husband Rick of Flint, TX, and Sandra and husband, Steve Dlugas of Temple, TX.; 13 grandchildren; 6 step-grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and 10 step great-grandchildren, brother, Larry (address unknown) and other loving family and friends. No biography of Ralph should be written without including something about the person he was. He was 19 before he became a member of any church. His devotion to God and the Catholic faith were so very important to him, and like all things he did, he put his all into his spiritual life. He was a good son, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. It is difficult to say step "anything" because those words about family were not in his vocabulary. He had such a neat and unique personality, liked people and loved to talk, and never met anybody he could not find something to say to. His legacy is truly the gifts of mentoring, friendship, love, and respect.