LT RALPH B. STOTHARD, USN

Class 1951

Born November 21, 1929

Died October 10, 1959

Age 29

Hometown San Diego, California

Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1951 Lucky Bag:

Ralph Blake Stothard

Making the normal unpretentious entry into this world Blake followed a life of little renown until the ripe old age of 12 hours … at this stage of senility this neophyte diver was found gleefully back- flipping into his bassinet . . . carried his indomitable spirit and diligence into music and academics . . . stars consistently . . . Fall and Winter sets find him brushing up his back flips . . . Spring sets find him polishing up his back hand for varsity tennis … by way of a flash-back it can only be concluded that ever since the day Blake back-flipped into his bassinet he has demonstrated that he possesses the right combination of qualities which can yield but one end product … an outstanding naval career.

He was also a member of the swim team.

Loss

Ralph was lost on October 10, 1959 when his F4D Skyway crashed into the South China Sea immediately after being catapulted from USS Lexington.

He was operations officer of Fighting Squadron (VF) 213.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Ralph graduated from Punahou school in Honolulu where he was on the tennis and swim teams. He played trumpet and trombone in the band. He and his classmate and friend Thomas Lee Cooper were notified by the war department that they received Presidential appointments to the Naval Academy after successfully completing examinations for entrance.

He also had been selected for entry into the naval reserve officers training program and the naval aviation college program on August 11, 1947. At that time, he lived at Quarters 10, naval air station, Pearl Harbor.

He earned his submariner rating in 1954 and his aviator wings in 1956.

At the time of his death, his wife Geraldine lived at the Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. His father was Lt. Ralph Edwin Stothard who died in San Diego in 1974, and his mother Ruth died there in 1977.

From the Daily Times, Salisbury, Maryland, August 19, 1948:

An audience with Pope Pius XII in Rome granted to men of the cruiser USS Macon is a memorable event in the life of Midshipman Ralph B. Stothard of Chincoteague.

The audience with the Pontiff highlighted a three-day tour of Rome from Leghorn, Italy. The son of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Stothard visited the Vatican, St. Peter’s Cathedral, the catacombs and the ruins of early Roman civilization.

Midshipman Stothard and the other men received a medallion and a special blessing from His Holiness.

Ralph’s Find A Grave page is here.

Photographs

From the 1959 cruise book of USS Lexington (CV 16). Source

From his high school yearbook

George Gleason ‘51 was also on the swim team.

Donald Levisee ‘51 was also on the tennis team.

Class of 1951

Ralph is one of 48 members of the Class of 1951 on Virtual Memorial Hall.