William Cary “Bill” Ragsdale, only child of Leon and Molly’O Ragsdale, was born November 25, 1924 in Evanston, Illinois. His parents traveled around a bit and he spent a great deal of his growing-up days with relatives. He was especially fond of Uncle Homer’s farm. About the time he was finishing high school, WWII broke out and he joined the Navy ROTC at Northwestern University. While there he saw the John Wayne movie, “The Fighting Seabees” and was sold on becoming a Seabee. He spent his active duty time in Guam and the Philippines as a "fighting Seabee." In 1946, he met a blonde waitress, ordered her for take-out and married Ruthe 3 months later. During those early years he tried various occupations: Cutler–Hammer as a standards engineer in Wisconsin, working on roofs in the Miami heat, and building sugar mills in Haiti. However, in 1951, Uncle Sam called him back to help with the Korean War. This active duty time was spent stateside at Port Hueneme, CA and at the Pentagon. About that time the rocket business was picking up and Bill wanted to give it a try. They moved to Michigan and then Alabama working for Chrysler Aerospace. Along the way, he and Ruthe produced 4 delightful children: Meri (1947), Cary (1949), Terry (1951) and Barry (1958). (Blame them for our rhyming names.) Bill retired from the Navy Reserve as a full Commander in 1970. After surviving the hard times of the Apollo shutdown, Bill & Ruthe moved to Florida to start working on the new rocket ship – the Shuttle. When contracts were changed, Bill & Ruthe packed up and moved to Colorado to work until retirement. After retirement, they returned to Florida to be close to their grandchildren. Bill’s passions in life were many. The Unitarian church was high on that list and he served the churches (in Alabama & Florida) in many capacities. He loved his research for and writing of his eight genealogy books. Bill & Ruthe traveled all over the country and to the British Isles to obtain research facts on their ancestry. He loved photography from an early age, and was constantly taking his kids’ pictures, as well of shots from all the places they traveled. He participated in Alabama politics in the 1960’s – a rather volatile time. He hated injustice and intolerance and spoke out against both. When Ruthe and Bill celebrated their 25th wedding Anniversary in December 1971, Ruthe composed a poem for the occasion:
To Bill
Our love has grown and changed as we,
from boy and girl to what you see.
The good times and the bad we’ve known,
are part of how and why we’ve grown.
Your patient ways – steadfast too,
have deepened my respect for you.
You’ve been my anchor and my goal,
a smile from you can warm my soul.
Your praise can brighten up my day,
do stay beside me all the way.
I could not love thee dear so well,
did I not often give thee hell;
And comfort when you’re feeling blue,
and now the rest is up to you.
Bill spent most of his retirement working/playing with the computer and writing. The books that he produced, particularly the two autobiographical volumes, are a treasure. Bill & Ruthe taught their children to be independent and strong people, just as he was. Bill lived his life fully. His wife of 63 years, as well as his children, grandchildren, and many friends will miss him.
