Ralph W. Krone, Professor and researcher at the University of Kansas and long time resident of Washington New Hampshire passed away at the age of 91 on March 19, 2010.

Ralph was born May 18, 1919 in Berlin Germany and, at the early age of seven, was forced to become the “man of the family” after his father died, taking on all of the family responsibilities.

As an American citizen, he returned to the United States in 1937 to attend Antioch Collage in yellow Springs, Ohio, returning to Germany after the war in 1946 as a technical consultant with a group of scientists for the US government to analyze German scientific accomplishments during the war. At that time, with the fear of the Russians coming into Germany, he arranged to bring his older sister and her younger daughter back to the United States.

He graduated in the spring of 1942 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and married Sara Jane Rasely (Sally) on December 26 of that year. After spending several years with NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in Virginia, Ralph was accepted for an assistantship at John Hopkins University. It was here that he was introduced to the nuclear physics lab under Professor Inglis and wrote the first doctoral research paper on the Van de Graaff accelerator that professor Inglis was building. In 1948 he and Sally moved to Lawrence, Kansas where Ralph was an instructor and it was here that he wrote his dissertation. In 1949 he received his PHD and became an Associate Professor in 1955 and a full professor in 1960.

Ralph served the University of Kansas Physics Department as acting Chairman of the Department from 1965-1966, taught a number of graduate courses in nuclear physics, developed various Physics courses for the general undergraduate studies program and in the mid-seventies designed an elementary physics course for high school science students taking college credits.

A large portion of his time at KU was devoted to the Nuclear Research program. A proposal submitted to the AFC by Ralph in 1955 generated nearly $ 2,000,000 and made Lab one of the well respected Low Energy Nuclear Phusics Programs in this country and abroad.

In 1982, Ralph retired from the University and moved with Sally to Washington, New Hampshire to a open an antique business (Tintagel Antiques) in which they both bought, repaired, restored and sold antiques furniture and assessories. Ralph found the restoration process very satisfying and creative; he help build the house and outbuildings on the property, he loved spending time with his new train set and working with his tools in the barn, made individual wooden boxes and pewter pieces that he would later sell at craft fairs, was a past member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsman and enjoyed watching KU basketball, the Boston Red Sox and staying current with the politics and news around the world. Lately, he often would reflect that he had been in Washington as long as he had been in Lawrence; he loved both places.

Ralph died peacefully with his daughter by his side after a courageous struggle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was born to Karoline  (Kate) Deutsch and Oscar Albert George Krone. He is survived by his wife Sally; two sons, Christopher Of Washington, NH and Michael Of Branson, Missouri, and a daughter, Royanna of Santa Barbara, California.

An informal gathering of friends and family will be held at the Washington Town Square Congregational Church on Saturday April 3, 2010. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association of New Hampshire 456 Beech St, Manchester, New Hampshire 03101.

The Holt-Woodbury Funeral Home & Cremation Service Hillsboro, NH is in charge of arrangements.

For more information log onto www.holtwoodbury.com

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