Ralph E. Moote

Moote, Ralph Edward, aged 88, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 20th, shortly before midnight. Ralph succumbed after a several year battle with loss of kidney function. Daughter-in-law Denise and granddaughter Rachel were by his side at his passing. Ralph is survived by his son John Michael Moote and his wife Denise Marie Moote from Salem Township/Plymouth, MI, grandchildren Rachel Elizabeth Moote, Pinckney, MI and Jacob John Moote, Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor, MI. He is also survived by his brother Richard “Dick” (Mary) Moote and four sisters Donna (Fred, deceased) Schwallier, Dolores”Dee” (William “Bill”, deceased) Aseltyne, Virginia “Gin” (Marcel “Joe”) Lemay and Jean “Jeanie” (Steve) Lizak. He was predeceased by his wife, Jacqueline “Jackie” Marie (Witkowski) Moote and parents Ralph Marsden and Agnes Mary (Larabel) Moote. He is also survived by 30 nieces and nephews and an even larger extended family of cousins, second-cousins and great-nieces and nephews. Ralph was born and grew up in Grand Rapids area and later, in Detroit near Del Ray and later still, in the Belmont area on Prest. Ralph spent his early adult years as a monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky at the same time as the well-known Catholic author, Thomas Merton. Later he served four years in the Air Force in Washington DC as a mechanic during the Korean conflict. Upon his return to Detroit, he married Jackie and spent many years as a mailman in the Brightmoor area. After moving his family to Plymouth in 1971, he worked in maintenance in the Plymouth School District. Never fully retiring, he worked for many additional years at the Plymouth Historical Museum, performing all sorts of maintenance and odd jobs. But Ralph was even more well-known for his outside interests. He was a lifelong tinkerer, ham radio operator (W3CMZ, later K8DPL), electronics wizard, nut grower, avid gardener, beekeeper, geneologists and master of an eclectic mix of hobbies and interests. He began the Plymouth Flying Pilgrims Radio Controlled Airplane club and was the first president. He was actively involved in the Stu Rockafellow Ham Radio club. He was an active member of the Michigan Nut & Fruit Growers Association for many years. If you see a nut tree growing in the Ann Arbor Matthaei Botanical Gardens, it was probably planted by Ralph. Ralph’s stories and anecdotes will be sorely missed. The family will gather with friends Saturday, October 26th at 10 AM until the 11 AM Memorial Service at Vermeulen-Sajewski Funeral Home, 46401 Ann Arbor Rd. W., Plymouth. The family has asked that any donations be made to the Michigan Fruit and Nut Growers Association through the treasurer Cecelia Fydroski, 722 Andrews, Commerce Township, MI 48322 or electronically to the MichiganNutGrower@gmail.com via PayPal. They are going to use any donations for the purpose of buying tools for the education of young folks in the art of grafting. Alternatively, donations to the Yankee Air Museum are also appreciated on their website at https://yankeeairmuseum.org/support/ To share a memory, please use the Share A Memory tab on the web page.

Ralph E. Moote

November 7, 1930 - October 21, 2019