Mayer, Ralph B. 1931-2025 Kansas City, Mo.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ralph Bernard Mayer, age 93, died peacefully surrounded by family in his home on Friday, May 2, 2025, after suffering a stroke. He was born on Aug. 20, 1931, in Lenexa, Kansas, to Ethel and Carl Mayer and graduated high school from De La Salle Military Academy.
In September of 1951, Ralph attended Naval boot camp, then served an eight-month tour of duty in Korea on the destroyer USS Rogers.
After completing a two-year active-duty assignment in the Navy, Ralph enrolled at the University of Missouri and received a BS in electrical engineering in 1957. There he met his future wife, Jeannine Reilly. They wed in 1955 and settled in St. Joseph where they lived for 43 years and raised their family of three sons and three daughters. Ralph worked for St. Joseph Light and Power for 37 years and retired as the Vice President of Operations in 1994.
After retirement they lived in the Kansas City area for several years, returning to St. Joseph in 2009. Ralph lost the love of his life to Alzheimer’s on May 15, 2016. He remained in St. Joseph until 2024, then moved to Kansas City where he spent the last year of his life at Tiffany Springs Senior Living Community.
Survivors: children: Mike (Janice), St. Joseph, Tom (Robin), Raymore, Missouri, David, Taipei, Taiwan, Vicki (Mike) Besco, Shawnee, Kansas, Karla (Eddy) Halter, Julie (Charlie) Hausman, Jefferson City, Missouri; 18 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
Ralph was preceded in death by his wife, Jeannine; his parents, Carl and Ethel Mayer; his siblings, Virginia, Irene, Gene, and Joanne; and his grandson, James Patrick Stover.
Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m. Friday, May 9, 2025, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, St. Joseph. Interment, Mount Olivet Cemetery. Rosary 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at Heaton-Bowman-Smith & Sidenfaden Chapel, St. Joseph. Visitation will begin following the Rosary from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
The family wishes to thank Three Rivers Hospice, of Platte City, Missouri, for their loving care of our dad and comfort for our family. Donations are suggested to Three Rivers Hospice or Alzheimer’s Disease Research Foundation. As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.
