Ralph was born on August 14, 1931 in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Charles J and Dorothy May Leslie Murphy, and was a direct descendent of the founding families of New Hampshire, and of The United States of America.

Ralph proudly served his country as an Army Sergeant of the Military Police in Bremerhaven Germany from 1948-1952, and then in the New Hampshire Army Reserves until 1957. After his military service, he attended Plymouth Teacher’s College in Plymouth New Hampshire, and received his Teacher’s Certificate in 1956, and taught in various underserved communities on the East Coast. In 1974, Ralph earned his certification as an Internal Auditor, and went on to have a successful international career acquiring businesses world-wide for various Fortune 500 companies. In addition to Ralph’s business ventures, he was also a talented, professional actor, who remained active in small, professional theatre from the 1950’s until the mid 2010’s. He performed on stages in Nisswa, Minnesota; New York, New York; Portsmouth, New Hampshire (and the New England Seacoast); and St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to his years spent on stage as an actor, Ralph also helped to run the box offices of several small, professional theatre companies in St. Louis, MO.

Ralph was an avid reader (his weekly edition of the New York Times Book Review was read cover to cover, so that he could keep track of the many authors he loved and/or wanted to investigate), his apartment always filled with the books he’d just read, and the books he planned to read. He was also a devoted fan of Jeopardy, which brought him so much joy for so many years. Perhaps his favorite past-time, though, was as a member of a theatre audience. He attended and ushered at thousands of performances throughout his life…and had saved every program of every show he had ever seen.

Ralph was an active member of The Church of Saint Michael and Saint George, and served with distinction as a member of the Stephen Ministry, and as a Eucharistic Lay Minister.

Ralph had lived in Manchester, N.H.; Bremerhaven, Germany; Charleston, S.C.; Baltimore, M.D.; New York; N.Y.; North Salem, N.Y.; St. Louis, MO; Wilton, CT; New Britain, PA; Stamford, CT; Ft. Meyers, FL; Portsmouth, N.H.; and Kirkwood, MO.

Ralph is survived by his daughter, Margeau Baue Steinau (Dan); his brothers: Clarence Murphy and Charles Murphy (Wendi); his grandchildren Marlene Selsor (Sam), Madeleine Steinau, Adam Steinau, and Cevon Seymour; nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Ralph was predeceased by his parents, his sister (Marlene), and his ex-wife (Marty).

Ralph has donated his body to the Saint Louis University Center for Anatomical Science and Education. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite, local arts organization and/or to The Democratic National Convention.

Services to celebrate Ralph’s life will be held at a later date in order to accommodate the most out-of-town family and friends.