Mr. Ralph Alexander Pace

Ralph Alexander Pace passed away at his home in McAllen, Texas on Saturday, 29 July 2023 at 4:30 pm with his loving wife, Ginger at his bedside. He had been struggling with chronic illness for a few months. Ralph A. Pace was born 4 May 1931 in Hobbs, Lea County, New Mexico. He was one of four sons born to Coy Oren "Bob" Pace and wife, Evie Lee (King) Pace. Ralph was named after his grandfather, Clarence Alexander Pace. His father, Coy was employed by Halliburton Oil Well and Cementing Company and worked in many areas of Texas and New Mexico, and Ralph attended the local schools where they lived at the time. Due to his father being transferred numerous times, Ralph attend four different high schools where he played on the baseball and championship football teams. Ralph was also a member of the Projectionist Club and graduated in 1949 from Hobbs High School, Hobbs, New Mexico. While his parents were living in Hobbs in 1950, Ralph began attending the University of Oklahoma (OU) at Norman, Oklahoma where he joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corp (ROTC). While he was attending college there, his parents moved to Midland, Texas. Ralph was then drafted into the United States Army on 12 September 1951 and ordered to report for induction at the Courthouse at Lovington, Lea County, New Mexico. He was sent to the Military Police Replacement Training Center, Camp Gordon, Georgia where he completed his Basic Military Police Training (MOS 4677) on 2 February 1952. Private Ralph A. Pace, US54, 055, 484 was then sent to Korea. After being honorably discharged from the Army in Korea, Ralph returned to college but attended North Texas State College in Denton, Texas (now University of North Texas). However, he remained a devoted OU fan all his life. Ralph graduated on 21 August 1959 at North Texas State College with a Bachelor of Business Administration - Production Management. He worked in the field of packaging materials and equipment for many years, and he became very proficient in adapting the equipment to produce better packaging for special products. He worked for Gaylord Container Corporation, an American integrated manufacturer of packaging materials, primarily corrugated containers, which was later absorbed by Inland and eventually called Temple-Inland. After he left the company, he continued to be a valuable consultant in the industry. Ralph A. Pace married Ginger Marie Pierson in Las Vegas, Nevada on 6 Feb 1980, and they established their life long home in McAllen, Texas. Ralph ended his employment with Inland to establish his own business, Pace Packaging Materials and Equipment, Inc. on 5 May 1986 and later incorporated the business on 26 Jun 1989 in McAllen, Texas. He was a very successful business owner and worked every day with his wife, Ginger in his own business venture until he dissolved the company on 5 November 2021 when they retired. Ralph enjoyed spending time with wife Ginger watching movies and playing cards with friends. He was a life long fan of the NFL Dallas Cowboys and always enjoyed watching them play. Ralph also enjoyed spending time with friends and family as well as vacationing at their time share condo on Padre Island, Texas. Ralph was predeceased by his parents; brother Donald Roy Pace and wife, Vivian (Jackson) Pace; brother Harrison Wilkes "Harry" Pace and wife, Patsy Ruth "Pat" (McDaniel) Pace; and nephew David Harrison Pace. Ralph is survived by his wife, Ginger (Pierson) Pace, McAllen, Texas; brother Bobby Oren "Bob" Pace, Houston, Texas; former sister-in-law, Carolyn Emerson (Galloway) Pace Smejkal, Georgetown, Texas; sister-in-law Sandy Essman (Jim), Austin, Texas; sister-in-law Wendy White (Steve), College Station, Texas; niece Charlotte (Pace) Warren (Glen), Little Elm, Texas; Donald Roy Pace Jr (Diane), Little Elm, Texas; Jackson Oren Pace (Sheryl), Austin, Texas; Debbie Pace, Little Elm, Texas; Stephen Pace (Rose), Houston, Texas; Daniel Pace (Margaret), Austin, Texas; Jonathan Pace (Melissa), Austin, Texas; Cousin Cheryl (Pace) Frame (Dave), Red Lion, Pennsylvania; Cousin Randy "Tuffy" Pace, Houston, Texas; and Cousin Judy Pace, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Services are pending at Kreidler Funeral Home, Inc located at 314 N 10th Street, McAllen, Texas 78501. In lieu of flowers, family, friends and business associates are welcome to donate in Memory of Ralph A. Pace to the charity of their choice.

Tributes

Mr. Ralph Alexander Pace

July 29, 2023