Ralph Rawson, 94, of Londonderry

Ralph W. Rawson, 94, of Londonderry, Vt., and The Villages, Fla., passed away on Jan. 20, 2025 after a brief illness.

To capture the many accomplishments, decades of memories, and the effect Ralph had on his community, loved ones, and the world seems impossible in a simple obituary. Anyone who was blessed to have Ralph in their life will attest to how enigmatic, brilliant, and one-of-a-kind he was.

Ralph was born to Ethelbert “Thub” Rawson and Cecil Capen on Nov. 26, 1930 in Springfield. He was one of 11 children. There were six boys and five girls: Arlene Trapeni, Christie Hidy, Jerome Rawson, Alfred Rawson, Hugh Rawson, Joanne Prouty, Ruth LaFogg, Maude Gabert, Bobby Rawson, and Katherine Ann Rawson. Ralph is survived by Hugh and Ruth.

Ralph grew up working alongside his siblings on a local farm in Londonderry. He attended Leland & Gray High School, graduating in 1948. He was a talented athlete, earning the nickname “Speedy” on the basketball court.

On Aug. 18, 1950, Ralph enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Deaf in one ear due to a childhood illness, Ralph accepted a challenge from his father that he would never make it into the military. Despite this setback, Ralph rose to the rank of staff sergeant, earning both the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. His ability to diligently conquer any challenge would continue to be a theme throughout his life.

Ralph completed his military service in 1954 and went to work on various engineering and surveying projects in New England, including but not limited to the construction of Interstate 91 from Massachusetts to Vermont and Ball Mountain Dam in Townshend.

Ralph married Shannon Clough in 1956 and went on to have a family of five children: Steven, Karen, Terry, Dennis and Douglas.

On Dec. 1, 1960, Ralph went to Stratton Mountain and applied for a job. He was hired on the spot and when asked how soon he could start, he replied, “Right now. I brought my lunch with me.” He then worked tirelessly alongside his team for a year when Stratton officially opened for business on Dec. 1, 1961.

For the next 40 years, Ralph built Stratton in various positions, eventually becoming executive vice president. A favorite family story is the day he was informed that he had been promoted to VP. His boss peered into a ditch that Ralph was digging and said something along the lines of “Ralph, you can get out of the hole. You’ve been promoted to VP.” Ralph gratefully accepted the promotion but declined to stop digging until the project was finished.

There would be seasons throughout the 40 years of his career at Stratton that he didn’t take a single day off. In the words of an old colleague, “Ralph really was the epitome of hard working, visionary, and diehard. He is Stratton.”

In addition to his career at Stratton, Ralph was elected as a select board member for the town of Londonderry and also served on the Zoning Board and Planning Commission. He was an avid hunter, golfed as much as he could find time to and enjoyed photography. He had an exceptional ability to study and implement solutions for any type of project, from simple to extremely complicated.

Ralph also served as the president of the Rawson Association for years, the organization that oversees the annual Rawson reunion every August in Rawsonville. His efforts helped to preserve the Rawson name in the community for years to come.

In 2003, Ralph and Shannon decided to migrate south for the winters, eventually settling in The Villages for half the year. In true Ralph fashion, he enthusiastically welcomed his children and grandchildren to cruise around on golf carts and explore the area, go to the town square for concerts, golf, swim, and enjoy the Floridian lifestyle.

Ralph was never without a project, from meticulously maintaining his lawn and garden to researching and planning the best local activities for his grandkids to enjoy while they visited. Memories of him reading his paper and eating his fresh grapefruit at the dining room table every morning, taking his walks around the neighborhood, hosting big family get-togethers, being the dutiful tour guide, and making sure everyone was always having a good visit – these are all things we will sorely miss.

Ralph is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Shannon Rawson.

He also is survived by his son Steven Rawson and wife Mary Beth Rawson of Escondido, Calif., and their five children: Stephanie Plummer and her husband Christopher and children Cade, Miles and Juniper; Michael Rawson and his wife Ashley; Sara Barba and her husband Jorge and children Abigail, Cylus, and Sonora; and Amy Rawson and Elizabeth Rawson.

He is survived by his grandson, Benjamin Rockwell, son of his beloved daughter Karen Rockwell, who passed away in 1981, and her husband Dennis Rockwell.

Ralph is also survived by his daughter Terry Hill of Londonderry, her daughter Vanessa Hill and  son Owen Hill, Owen’s wife Lindsey and Vanessa’s daughter Lola.

Also surviving are his son Dennis Rawson of Londonderry and Dennis’s son Lucas, as well as son Douglas Rawson of Manchester and his wife Lynn and their sons Jackson and Evan.

In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to local charities in Ralph’s name in your community.

There will be a celebration of Ralph’s incredible life in the spring in Vermont with details to follow.