Ralph L. MacLean, 90
Dateline: Norton,MA
Ralph Leslie MacLean, age 90, of Norton passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 12,2014 at the Golden Living Place in Attleboro.
He was born on September 30, 1924 in Prince Edward Island, Canada and was the son of the late Jesse and Charles MacLean of P.E.I.
Ralph grew up in a small farming town in P.E.I. When he was 14 years old he moved to the USA and lived with his aunt and uncle in Attleboro while attending trade school. He worked as a toolmaker at Wells and then at Craft in Attleboro. Ralph served in the US Navy during WWII.
He married the late Helen Jenks MacLean in 1947 and was the loving father to his four children: Gary, Sharyn, Peter and Thomas. Ralph worked as a toolmaker at Valentine Tool in Norton and retired from there after 25 years.
He was very active with the boy scouts when his children were growing up and was the leader of Troop 24 at the Norton Unitarian Church. He was also a member of the Norton Trinitarian Congregational Church and served on the board of deacons for 14 years.
In 1981Ralph married Marion Perry Minke MacLean of Norton. After his retirement he pursued his passion for woodworking and refurbishing antique furniture as a hobby with his wife Marion, who painted many of the items. He enjoyed making traditional wooden toys for the grandchildren, working in the garden, digging clams, cooking, reading, chatting with friends and telling stories of his early years.
Ralph is survived by his wife, Marion Perry Minke MacLean of Norton. He is also survived by his son Gary MacLean of Norton and his children Lisa Tibert and her husband Neil Tibert and their three children, Dylan, Chloe and Riley of Fredericksburg, VA; his daughter Katherine Browne and her two children, Kelsea and Sophie of N.Kingston, RI; and his son Steven MacLean of New Haven, CT. Ralph is survived by his daughter Sharyn MacLean of Norton. He is also survived by his son Peter MacLean and fiance’ Debra Nichols of N. Dartmouth; his two children, Parke and Jesse MacLean and her two children, Ashley and Spencer. Ralph is survived by his son Thomas MacLean, his wife Rebecca and their son Jake at Lincoln University, PA. He is also survived by his sister, Wanda Arbing, and his brother, Arnett MacLean of P.E.I.
In addition Ralph is survived by his step daughter, Kathryn Minke Shaw of Pocasset, MA, her x-husband James Shaw of W. Falmouth and their daughter Rachael Shaw Ledwidge and her husband Thomas Ledwidge of Pocasset. He is survived by his step son, Ernest (Chuck) Minke and fiance’ Carol Joy of Conway, NH; and his two children, Cassandra Minke and fiance’ Benjamin Constantine and their baby son, Mason James Constantine of N. Berwick, ME; and his daughter Emily Minke of Freedom, NH.
Ralph will be greatly missed by his family and friends. We will always carry his memory in our hearts. A Celebration of Life service will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 11:00 AM at the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Norton. Burial will be held privately at a later date at the Timothy Plain Cemetery in Norton.
The family would like to thank the staff at Golden Living Place, the VNA Hospice, Home in stead, and Rev. Bernard Hinckley for all their assistance and support.
To send Ralph’s family a message of condolence please visit www.nortonmemorial .com
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