Ralph was born June 24, 1931, in Chicago, IL, to Joseph and Martha (Celmer) Jakovec. Ralph was the second of three children, with an older brother, William "Bill," and a younger sister, Paula. He attended Morton East High School in Cicero, IL.
He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on August 11, 1950 (and where he picked up the nickname "Jake"). After serving in the Korean War, Ralph was honorably discharged as Private First Class on May 8, 1952. In 1994, he began attending annual reunions with his Marine Corps buddies from George Company, Third Battalion, First Marines (G-3-1).
Ralph married Natalie Tracas in LaGrange, IL, on June 13, 1953. They raised three children, Mark, Andrew "Andy," and Lori, in LaGrange Park, IL. Ralph married his second wife, Bonnie Haynes, in Deadwood, SD, on August 21, 1979; they lived in Wood Dale, IL.
Ralph was a member of the Chicago Pipefitters Local 597 and the Sheet Metal Workers' Local 73. In the late 1960's, he opened "RJ Quality Service," his own HVAC company in LaGrange Park. He had an incredible work ethic and would not leave a job until it was done and done right. In 1983, he accepted a position as Press Engineer with GTE Directories in Des Plaines, IL. He was well-respected by management and co-workers alike, and performance reviews stated that he could fix or fabricate just about anything. It was mostly during his GTE years that he gained a reputation as "The Candy Man," first handing out butterscotch candy and then switching to his signature candy: Werther's Original.
Ralph loved to fish and early family vacations were spent camping in Minnesota and Wisconsin. On occasion, he would join company golf outings. In the 1970's, the family had a small boat and spent most summer weekends camping and water skiing. But his true passion was firearms and reloading. Ralph had membership at a Wisconsin rifle club, often assisting in range maintenance. He also received commendation by the LaGrange Park Chief of Police for volunteering services and supplies to renovate and upgrade the ventilation system at their gun range. He was only too happy to help out Sturgis Guns by sharing his knowledge and experience as well as offering advice to the shop owners and customers.
Ralph rode his Harley to the Sturgis Rally for many, many years. In September, 1989, Ralph bought over 43 acres of land which eventually became the site of his new log home. During construction in 1996, Ralph became fast friends with Mike Deutsch, owner of Cimarron Drilling, and informally worked with Mike later. Always a man to love his breakfast, Ralph sought out the best local diners, and breakfast at Weimer's Diner & Donuts became his morning ritual. He was also blessed with the best of neighbors and made sure to provide daily treats for Boone & Caron Collins's dog and cats.
Ralph was a humble man with simple needs yet always willing to help a friend. He had a positive outlook and rarely had a bad day. He loved to share jokes and was a bit of a storyteller, weaving a story in such a way that you weren't sure if he was pulling your leg.
Ralph Anthony Jakovec, 88, of Sturgis, died Sunday, September 15, 2019, at Department of Affairs Fort Meade Veterans Administration Hospital.
Let us not mourn the loss of Ralph, especially since he would not want us to do that. But rather let us celebrate his life and all the special memories in our hearts and minds of times spent with him, his good nature, his laugh, his perfect cup of coffee and the ever-present Werther's candy!
A celebration of life will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 12, 2019, at the Sturgis Vets Club.