Harry Ramaley died on July 9th.  He was 88 years old.  He was a golfer.  He played in the senior leagues at the Alexandria Golf Cub for many years.  He was fun to play with, but I always asked him not to take advantage of his obvious experience advantage – he was one week and 20 years older than me.  He was a very good golfer, with a swing that had no extraneous parts.  He accomplished every golfer’s ultimate goal of “shooting his age,” which he did on many occasions.  Our condolences from all to Lois and the Ramaley family.

[Below, my first photo of Harry.  It was September 11, 2006, the senior men’s league annual steak fry at the club.  Harry is bending slightly forward between the four seated people, one of whom is a close personal relative of mine.]

[This photo is from June of the next year.  Again, a senior league steak fry (yes, we tried to have them whenever possible).  We all seem happy to be there.  Harry is on the far right side of the front row.]

[This does not appear to be a senior league steak fry.  Mavis and Dar Hentz join Lois and Harry for some kind of dress-up event, July 30, 2009.]

[Yup, steak fry, August 31, 2009.  Harry on the back row, 4th from the right.]

[Front (l-r): Don Hanson, Gordy Anderson, Paul Arnesen, Warren Gibson.  Back (l-r): Martin Haar, Dar Hentz, and Harry.]

[June 29, 2011, Harry and Lois are on the far left about to participate in the putting contests that went hand-in-golf glove with the steak fries.  I seem to recall that Harry won this at least once.]

[September 13, 2011, Harry is standing 2nd from left.  After each league round, we’d repair to the clubhouse for lunch and reparations.  Every year, one server drew the unlucky straw to take care of us.  For at least a couple years it was Linda.]

[August 28, 2012, Lois and Harry are waiting in line for the annual putting contest as part of the annual steak fry.]

[This must have been a winning year for Harry as he stands to receive the accolades of the attendees.]

[September 25, 2012.  Our league drew poker chips to make teams.  On this day, the four oldest guys all ended up on the last team together.  They were all over 85 then – but they were probably the winners!]

[Harry was, of course, more than just a golfer.  Here is his obituary from Legacy.com:

Harry David Ramaley was born on August 28, 1927 in St. Paul, MN to Edward and Lillian (Hawkins) Ramaley. He graduated from Humboldt High School in St. Paul, MN in 1945, and served in the United States Navy. Harry returned to St. Paul and attended Mills College of Art and was offered a job at The Golden Rule Department Store, creating their advertising. Harry married his High School sweetheart Donna Lou Lilledahl in June of 1949. They lived for two years in Sioux City, Iowa and then moved to Duluth. The couple was blessed with two sons, David and Jeff. Harry did community work with the Jaycees and later the Kiwanis Club in Duluth. Harry worked as an Executive and Vice President at Davidson Printing Company, which later became Harcourt Brace Publishing from 1952 to 1990 when he retired. In retirement, after trips to the Phoenix area, Harry and Donna decided to move to Sun City West, AZ. They bought land and contracted to have a home built. But before they could move into their new home, Donna passed away on April 12, 1994. Harry was briefly married to Dorothy Dwyer (also of Duluth) before she passed away suddenly of cancer. Harry married Lois (McGregor) Gallagher on July 4, 1998 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Minnesota. Like many “Snowbirds”, the couple lived in Alexandria and wintered in Sun City West, AZ. Harry was a very passionate golfer and was very proud of the days in his seventies and eighties; he could “shoot his age”. He was also very artistic and loved to draw and paint cartoons for his family and his golfing buddies. Harry helped pass this love of art to his sons who both have a great interest in art, and now this appreciation is also being passed down to the grandchildren. Harry passed away on Saturday, July 9, 2016 at his home in Alexandria at the age of 88. He is survived by his wife, Lois Ramaley of Alexandria; sons, David (Nancy) Ramaley of Oakley, UT, and Jeff Ramaley of Duluth, MN; grandchildren, Austin and Krista Ramaley of Salt Lake City, UT; brother, Gene (Mary) Ramaley of Garrison, MN; Lois’s children, Pam (Tim) Hunt of Alexandria, Mac Peek and David (Susan) Peek both of Baton Rouge, LA; 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews and his beloved dog, Toby. Harry is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Lillian; first wife, Donna Lou; brother, John Ramaley and sister, Grace Church. A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 15, 2016 at 11am, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Alexandria with Reverend Alicia Hilding officiating. Inurnment will be at Park Hill Cemetery in Duluth, MN.

An accomplished man with a career in printing and publishing, his artistic skills were shared among his golf buddies.  Here he captured my efforts as the “cub reporter.”]

[Needless to say, I was honored to receive this caricature from Harry.]

[It still holds a place of importance at the “cub reporter” desk.]

[We’ll miss Harry, of course, and he will always be remembered among “the guys” for one significant sentence.  It cracked me up so much at the time I had a very difficult time addressing my next golf shot.  And we all remind each other of it at appropriate times. Harry was on my team as I was getting ready to hit my 2nd shot after a surprisingly good drive down the middle.  Harry drove his cart up to me, give me a Harry look, and dead-panned, “Now don’t fuck up.”]