Obituary of Ralph A. Rosales

Ralph A. Rosales, (Rosy) 86, passed away on Thursday, December 24th, 2009 at Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, FL. He was born in Coffeeville, KS on October 19, 1923 and raised in Fort Dodge, Iowa where he married Dolly Dunscombe in 1946. Ralph owned and operated Rosy's Tire Service for 20 years and moved to Cocoa Beach to be near his children. He worked in the cruise line industry and was employed by Carnival Cruise Lines and the Canaveral Port Authority. Ralph was one of the few surviving members of the 101st Airbourne Division that landed on Normandy Beach during the first wave of the Battle of the Bulge. He was honored by the citizens of France for his participation and bravery during the invasion. This experience shaped the rest of his life and enriched the lives of those who knew him. Ralph is survived by his wife Dolly, three daughters; Vicki (Larry) Chase, Kristi (Tim) Abbott, Melanie (Charles) Underbrink, four grandchildren, three great grandchildren all of whom reside in Florida, sisters; Angelina Fair, Aurora Tuel, Lillian Wirt, Frances Rosales, Shirley Nelson all of Fort Dodge and one brother Leo Rosales of Omaha, NE. He was preceded in death by his father Laurence and brother Gilbert Rosales of St Paul, MN. Ralph was a lifetime member of the VFW, a member of the American Legion and a charter member of the World War II Memorial. A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 1-2pm at the Veterans Memorial Park located at 400 S. Sykes Creek Parkway, Merritt Island. Services will begin at 2:00pm with full military honors.