He was born March 3, 1946, in Osceola, Iowa. He was raised near Osceola on a dairy farm. He graduated from Mormon Trail High School in 1964. He had a Ham radio license, K0TRV.

In August 1967, he married Mary. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1968 with a degree in accounting. While a member of Iowa's ROTC, he obtained a pilot's license and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force at graduation [subsequently being promoted to captain]. He later received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa and his Master of Law from George Washington University. He served the Air Force as an auditor at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and later as an attorney at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M. He left the Air Force as a captain and became an attorney for the Department of Energy at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. In 1986, Ralph took a job as assistant chief counsel for the Department of Energy in Idaho Falls. He later served as chief counsel. He retired from the DOE in 2001. Following retirement, he and his wife enjoyed traveling in their camper many months of the year. They visited almost every national park in the continental United States as well as every province in Canada.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; and two sons, Nicholas and Jim Throckmorton.

A gathering to celebrate Ralph's life will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at The Monarch, located at 810 E. Sunnyside Road. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be given in Ralph's name to the University of Iowa Law School Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244-4550; or the Development Workshop of Idaho Falls. Condolences may be sent to the family, and a map to The Monarch maybe be found online at www.coltinmortuary.com.

Published in Post Register on Oct. 15, 2008