Ralls Coston Clotfelter Obituary (1924

Ralls Coston Clotfelter, 85, passed away, after a yearlong battle with prostate cancer at his Lofall home with family members by his side on August 19, 2009. Ralls was born January 29, 1924 in Gadsden, Alabama and was the youngest of 6 children. He joined the US Navy at 17 years old with the help of his father in 1942. During the war he served with Navy Patrol Squadron VB-142 as a turret gunner on a Lockheed Ventura, median range bomber. His war tour took him to Midway Island, then onto Tarawa Atoll in the western pacific for a 7 month mission of combat patrols in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal presented to him during a 2006 special ceremony at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. He was proud of his military service and very much a historian of the US war effort in the Pacific Theater. He married Arlene Raymond in Downey California in 1948 and began a 20 year career working for Santa-Fe Railroad as a train switchman in the Los Angeles, San Bernardino rail yards and the high desert track lines of California. He moved his family from Yucaipa CA to Poulsbo, WA in 1968. He worked the past 30 years as a general contractor selling and constructing numerous commercial steel buildings in western Washington. His job on each project was 'working very hard' from beginning to end. Ralls was as kind, gentle and easy going person as you can meet. He loved his close family of children and grand children. Family was everything to him and it easily showed during the many family gatherings at the Clotfelter home. He always met you halfway to the house giving you his southern 'hey' and welcome. He enjoyed telling people ideas for them to contemplate by sharing his "other side of the issue" views on local government, business, school boards, transportation issues and the timber industry to anyone who would read or listen to him. He spoke on these topics to encourage others to stop and think about improved ways to accomplish these business practices for the prosperity of the local area, its citizens and future generations. Ralls was a member of Poulsbo American Legion Post #245, and the Breidablik Hall Building Committee. He loved to fly and held a private pilots license for 40 years. He is survived by his wife of 61 years Arlene, children, Pamela (Rich Collingwood ) North Bend, Joe ( Laura) Silverdale, Don Olympia, and Denise (George Bissell) Clarkston, 5 grandchildren Kim and Travis Kubicek, Erik, Jacob and Kendall Clotfelter and 1 great grandchild, Lindsey Eliason. Clotfelter family thanks Group Health Hospice - Tacoma/Kitsap for your loving care and attention to our father and our family.