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Roll Call Tribute

Ralph Hill Jr. '70 January 11, 2021 12:59 PM updated: February 3, 2021 12:15 PM

Ralph Henry Hill, Jr.
January 30, 1948 - November 13, 2020

Perpetual scientist, Lifelong musician, Enthusiastic dance partner, Respected mentor, and Memorable friend.

Lt. Col. Ralph Henry Hill, Jr. of San Antonio, TX, passed away November 13, 2020 while recovering from major abdominal surgery. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Linda Kay Garrett, daughter, Suzanne Zoss, and his sister, Mary Ida Kilgore.

Ralph was born in 1948 in Ft. Worth, TX to Ralph and Mary Lou (Hartman) Hill. He graduated from Eastern Hills High School in 1966 where he played varsity basketball. He had several odd jobs growing up, including: a book bindery, a Fuller Brush salesman, and a mailman.

He was proud to attend Texas A&M University as a 2nd-generation Aggie, where he earned a B.S. in physics (with high honors) in 1970 and received the Faculty Achievement Award. He continued studying physics at Texas A&M with a focus on laser optics, and earned his Ph.D. in 1979.

Ralph married the love of his life, Linda Kay Garrett, while at A&M. She convinced him to take tennis lessons (her passion), and he convinced her to take a few physics classes (his passion).

As a grad student, he was commissioned into the Air Force in 1972, and joined the A&M Corps of Cadets for two years.

After receiving his Ph.D., Ralph entered active duty with the Air Force and moved to Albuquerque, NM to work at the Weapons Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base. There he continued research work with chemical lasers, and was an adjunct assistant professor at the University of New Mexico.

Ralph transferred to the Air Force Reserves in 1983, and moved to San Antonio, TX to continue laser research at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). Working at SwRI allowed Ralph to work on a wide variety of interesting projects. Many people remember the infamous "Bee Tent", where he trained honeybees for explosives detection. This led to experiments involving moths and even electrode-controlled rats. He used lasers to: separate rocks from peanuts (so they don't end up in your candy!), slice ice cream, identify endometriosis, detect missiles in flight, and support medical devices. He even worked on something he affectionately called the "Chocolate Lab".

He was the SwRI Laser Safety Officer for 25 years, and enjoyed being the "unofficial tour guide" for many interns and new employees. He was promoted to the highest technical position at SwRI (Institute Scientist) in 2006.

During his tenure at SwRI, he authored 16 publications and 13 patents. He retired from SwRI in 2016 (after 33 years), but continued working part-time for several more years as a Technical Advisor.

Through the years, he mentored numerous students, judged science fairs from local to international levels, and encouraged local Girl Scouts to participate in science by overseeing the participation in projects: SEEDS and INSPIRE.

Although Ralph was proud of his academic and professional accomplishments, he was equally passionate about his personal life.

In 1980, Ralph and Linda Kay welcomed their beloved daughter, Suzanne. One of their first family activities was chasing hot air balloons in the annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. As Suzanne grew older, they continued playing games, mini golf, or croquet! He loved dogs, and looked forward to spoiling them whenever possible.

Music was a big part of his life – he played the trumpet, trombone, baritone, piano, and handbells. If there was a piano present, Ralph would often play his favorite song, Five Foot Two. And if you weren’t in the handbell choir at our church, he would definitely try to recruit you! On Friday nights, while Suzanne was in high school, he enjoyed being a chaperone to the Ram Band.

Ralph was very interested in science, technology, space, and education – whether giving a "Dog and Pony Show" (science demonstration) to a local elementary school or taking his family on excursions (watching eclipses, a comet, or listening for “whistlers”).

He was excited about capturing group photos; if you knew Ralph, you have probably seen him setting up his tripod.

Although he was quite outgoing, he often wasn’t excited about making speeches and would sometimes surprise everyone with a poem instead. Anyone in Ralph's family can probably recite the "Worm Poem" his mom taught him.

Ralph loved sharing his passions with everyone he met. His 6'6" stature and animated voice stood out in any crowd.

Ralph had a larger-than-life presence, and he will be deeply missed by the wide circle of people whose lives he has touched.

A private burial service for family and close friends was held on Dec 3rd, 2020. We plan to have a public memorial service later in 2021. Please follow this page, Facebook, or email his family if you'd like to be notified.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.



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