LOUIS "RALPH"

MORAVA JR.

Wasilla resident Louis "Ralph" Morava Jr. 76, died Jan. 15, 2003, from natural causes at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his immediate family by his side.

Mr. Morava was born Dec. 4,1926, in Pueblo, Colo. to Louis Ralph Morava Sr. and Beulah Sue Woods. He married his wife Charleen in August 1951 in Oklahoma, and graduated from Oklahoma A&M with a civil engineering degree. Together in 1952, he and his wife traveled up the Alcan Highway to begin their lives in Alaska. Early on in Anchorage, he worked in the Department of the Interior, Morison-Knutson, and was one of three generations working with Harry Purcell of Arctic Structures, and later in Wasilla for Al Johnson of Johnson Excavating, before leaving for the winter months in Utah and Oklahoma.

He has been an avid hunter and fisherman in Alaska and active for 30 years with the Alaska Retriever Club trialing and judging, as well as enjoying his own golden retrievers.

His family said, " Dad had a deep and abiding love for his children. We offer our deepest regards to numerous nurses and doctors from Utah University Medical Center, Huntsman Cancer Research Center, Alaska and Utah VA Hospitals, as well as numerous Hospice members."

Mr. Morava is survived by his wife of 51 years, Charleen; his daughter Katherine, grandson Jerrod and granddaughter Morava Brown all of Tacoma; son Michael, daughter-in-law Gretchen and granddaughters Robyn, Ali, and Katie Morava all of Wasilla.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Hospice VA Medical Center 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City UT 84148, Attn. Connie Campbell. Notes and cards may be sent to 1930 Wasatch Salt Lake City UT 84108, and/or P.0 Box 878132, Wasilla AK 99687.

No services are planned. A military burial is pending for a later date.