Ralph Reeder

Ralph Eugene Reeder, 81, of Boonsboro, Maryland, passed from this life on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Born on February 20, 1931, in Keedysville, Maryland, he was the son of the late Ralph William and Mabel Mary (Poffenberger) Reeder.

Ralph was a 1948 graduate from Boonsboro High School.
He served in the United States Navy from 1950 until 1953 and was stationed aboard the USS Princeton as a Radar Operator.

Ralph retired in 1992 from the Chesapeake and Potomac (Verizon) Telephone Company after 38 years.

He was a lifetime member of the McClellan Gun Club in Keedysville, where he served as President from 1979 until 2005, and was a lifetime member of the Communications Workers Of America Retired Members Council. He was also a member of the Clopper-Michael American Legion Post #10 in Boonsboro for 45 years; the Amvets Post #10 in Hagerstown; the Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge #948 in Charles Town, West Virginia; the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #694 in Hagerstown; and was a former member and President of the Rohrersville Ruritan Club where he ran the Carnival for many, many years.

Ralph was a member of Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at Locust Grove in Rohrersville.

Ralph loved hunting, fishing, bowling, gardening, and raising animals as well as watching birds. Recently he loved to spend time sitting by his fish pond. Most of all, throughout his life, he loved spending time with his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Betty J. (Hamby) Reeder; two daughters, Donna K. Anders and husband Mike of Boonsboro, and Cindy A. Zang and husband Chuck of Keedysville; two sisters, Deloris A. Smith and husband Wilfred, and Lois Y. Webber all of Boonsboro; one brother-in-law, Frank Hamby and wife Jeanette of Florida; two sisters-in-law, Mary Lou and Barbara Reeder, both of Boonsboro; five grandsons, Michael II, Josh, Chuck, Cort, and Colton; and four great-grandchildren, Cierra, Daeva, Etta and Michael III. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Donald W. Reeder and Gail L. Reeder; and his brother-in-law Edgar Webber.

A funeral ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 25, 2012 at the Bast-Stauffer Funeral Home, 7606 Old National Pike, Boonsboro. Rev. Blaine E. Feightner and Rev. Richard G. Hembrock will officiate. Final resting place ceremonies will follow at Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery at Locust Grove, with military honors to be rendered by the Clopper-Michael American Legion Post #10 from Boonsboro.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, 2012 at the funeral home.

Memorial donations may be made to Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Post Office Box 55, Rohrersville, Maryland, 21779.