St. George. UT - Ralph Williams Ball peacefully passed away Sunday, October 11, 2009, at his winter home in St. George, Utah, relieved of a battle with melanoma. Born September 6, 1919 in Deerfield, MA, he was preceded in death by his mother, Mary, father Philip, older brother Philip, and younger sister, Dorothy, and first wife, Patricia. Having lived 90 robust years, Ralph frequently remarked at his good fortune to have lived such a long, full life. An avid skier, Ralph attended Deerfield Academy; and Williams College; he was captain of both ski teams. He enlisted in the 87th Signal Corp of the 10th Mountain Division in the Aleutians at Kiska; and the Alps of Italy against the Germans. After the war, he graduated from the University of Denver Law School. He was a member of the Wyoming and Colorado Bar Associations. He practiced solo in Colorado for over 50 years in the oil and gas industry. Ralph ski raced and free-skied in the US and Europe through his 89th year. He climbed in the western US and Europe, including all 54 Colorado 14ers, The Grand Teton and Mt. Moran (where he camped at the Skillet glacier at 78), and Matterhorn in Europe. In the mid-1950s, he and friends enjoyed running the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, before the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam. With spring run-off flows he survived a mishap in Lava Falls, which forced an overnight without equipment or food, on the opposite bank from his party. He recently traveled to Australia and China with his wife Marilyn, and had toured in Europe numerous times. A believer in education abroad, he was proud his children Jody and Christopher studied for a high school year in Austria, and his granddaughter Fraser one year in Italy. He loved art, music, and sang in the glee clubs of Williams College, Deerfield Academy. He was a member of the Sun River Branch church choir with his wife Marilyn. Ralph is survived by his second wife, Marilyn, daughter Jody, Denver; sons Christopher, Denver; and Jeffrey (Katherine) of Bozeman and five grandchildren. Also Marilyns four children, April, Jared, Janet and Elaine, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at the Sun River Branch, 4416 South Country Club Dr., St. George, UT 84790. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to: 10th Mountain Division (LI) Scholarship Fund c/o National Assoc. 10th Mt. Division, P.O. Box 150, Carthage, NY 13619; Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center (http://utahavalanchecenter.org/about_us/friendsofuac).