Rev. Ralph W. Storm

THE REV. RALPH WARREN STORM  

1930-2022

The Rev. Ralph Warren Storm, age 92, passed away peacefully with family members at his side on December 7, 2022.  While his body failed him, he maintained his near-photographic memory until the very end.

Ralph was born in Buffalo, NY to John and Antoinette Storm.  He outlived his parents as well as his brothers, Russell and Paul.  To that, he said, “I won.”

Ralph was 16 years old when he graduated from Kensington High School in Buffalo.  He then graduated cum laude from Hartwick College in 1951.  In 1954 he received his M.Div. Degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.  He was ordained to the Lutheran ministry on June 16, 1954, in Johnson City, NY.  He also did doctoral studies at Union Theological Seminary in NYC and at New York University.

He married Juanita Jean Corrigall in Buffalo, NY 3 days after his ordination.  She died in 2009.  They are survived by 2 daughters, Naomi Ruth Howard and her husband, John of Allison Park, PA and Tracy Ellen Russell of Meadville, PA.  He is also survived by 3 grandchildren, Timothy Sexton, Gretchen Sexton, and Victoria Phillips as well as numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.  Lots of friends!

As an ordained Lutheran pastor, he served as a Mission Developer for the Board of American Missions and served at St. Mark’s, Elmsford and Holy Trinity, Elmira, both in NY, and St. Matthias, Greensburg, Messiah, Wesleyville and Trinity, Meadville, all in PA.  At his first congregation in Elmsford, summer services were held at the local drive-in theater which resulted in Ralph being featured in Look Magazine with Billy Graham and Oral Roberts in an article entitled, “Spiritual Boom or Bust.”

In 1984 Ralph and Nita moved to North Carolina.  They lived in Arden and Hendersonville.  During that time, he held various positions throughout the area as well as interim pastorates in Newport, TN, Greeneville, TN and Newland, NC.  Most Sundays, you could find him preaching at one church or another throughout the mountains of NC and TN with Nita, the ever-faithful traditional pastor’s wife, joining him.

Wherever he was, he was involved in something…whether it was Luther League or Boy Scouts in high school or the glee club or in a play in college.  He was co-camp director for Camp Chi Rho and Harris Hill Camp—both in New York State.  He was twice selected for inclusion in Who’s Who in Religion.  His list of Chairmanships, Presidencies and Conveners is impressive (and honestly, very lengthy) …everything from Chaplain’s Associations to retired pastors’ groups to local community advisory boards to church synod committees.  He was ecumenically inclusive and was an Oblate of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie.

Ralph loved the Roller Derby (and Lawrence Welk) and was known as the roller-skating pastor, which he did until his late 70’s.  He danced with the Southern Lights Square Dance Club in Hendersonville, NC.  Later in life Ralph and Nita travelled throughout the United States and to various parts of the world.  There were always dinner guests at the table, reunions of high school, college or seminary friends to be organized, church committees to be led, plays or concerts to attend, community volunteer activities to complete.

Ralph was well-known for making friends with anyone, anywhere.  He would also figure out that he knew the friends of the new friends.  And he never forgot the details of your life!  For 68 years he wrote an annual Christmas letter with the last one being sent just a few weeks ago.  It was ALWAYS mailed the day before Thanksgiving so that it would be the first to arrive.  As both he and his friends aged, the total number of letters sent decreased from 500 to 250.

In 2009 Ralph moved to an apartment at Concordia in Cabot to be closer to his family.  It was in this “perfect” apartment that he lived the longest he lived anywhere in his life.  He served as interim pastor at Grace@Calvary Lutheran Church in Butler and preached in a number of Lutheran churches throughout the area until his health made it too difficult to do so.

Believing that if you live in a community you must participate in it to keep it energized, he did just that.  Ralph was the founder and leader of mMADD (men Meeting After Dinner for Discussion), the MADD men of Haven One.  This group conducted a yearly food drive for the local Cabot Food Pantry.  He interviewed every new resident of his building and placed the write-up in lobby books so the residents would know each other, exercised, went to yoga and Wii building, was fire marshal for his wing, said the prayer before meetings and organized the July 4th program.  For years, he was the narrator of the Christmas and Easter cantatas…known for his dramatic flair, excellent reading and not using a microphone.

Finally, his physical impairments became too much.  Ralph sadly but graciously accepted that he needed to move to assisted living.  Two weeks before his death he founded a new group in assisted living…the alumni members of his apartment building who are now in AL.  Twenty residents plus a few others attended.  However, his health problems became too great, his body and soul hurt and were tired and ultimately, he made the decision to move to in-patient hospice where he passed peacefully in the same room where Nita passed 13 years ago.

A man of organization, he pre-paid his funeral, outlined his obituary, wrote his funeral service and had Naomi review them while in the hospital.

While his life was well-lived and his legacy is extensive, of all the things done and positions held, the one he treasured most was that in every town in which he served, his peers selected him as the president of the local ministerial association.  He was always considered to be a pastor’s pastor.

And so, for all of this, what more can we say but well done, good and faithful servant.

Friends will be received on Friday, December 16 from 3-7pm at Fox Funeral Home, Inc. Saxonburg. 

Ralph’s funeral service will be held at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Saxonburg on Saturday, December 17 at 11am.  A luncheon and sharing of memories will be held at Concordia Haven One dining room following the service at 1pm.

The services will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/_P6nrTwRFJs.

Private interment will be held at a later date in North Carolina. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to Concordia Lutheran Ministries Activity Department, 134 Marwood Rd, Cabot, PA  16023 or to Hendersonville Rescue Mission, PO Box 1512, Hendersonville, NC 28793.

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