Ralph K. Hunsaker

August 25, 1936 ~ March 12, 2015 Ralph K Hunsaker died peacefully on 12 March 2015 at TRU Hospice Care Center after a short battle with pneumonia.  He was born in Turin, Iowa, on 25 Aug 1936 to Ralph Sallie Waugh Hunsaker.  At the age of 6 his family moved to Mapleton, Iowa where he graduated with the class of 1954. Shortly after his high school graduation Ralph joined the U.S. Air Force.  He served honorably for four years.  His experiences in the military influenced his life so profoundly that both of his children and one of his grandchildren also served their country.  Ralph was a crew chief on the U2 before anyone knew what a U2 was.  He spent months on Eniwetok atoll during atomic testing.  He was a patriotic man and was very proud of his time in the military. After he left the military Ralph returned to Mapleton.  He met and married Beverly Ann Bush on 19 November 1960 and and together they had two children. They moved to Arvada, Colorado in 1972.   Ralph was preceded in death by Bev who died in February 2004 and Ralph missed her everyday for the next 11 years. Ralph is survived by his daughter Kelly, her husband Greg Spalding and their children Owen and Cora; his son Bob, Bob’s wife Lynda and their children Patrick, Holly, Tori and Landon.  He is also survived by a brother, Richard, of Sioux City, Iowa, and a sister, Jane, of Paola, Kansas.  He is a beloved uncle to 13 living nieces and nephews. A funeral service will take place on Saturday, 21 March 2015 at 11 am at the chapel of Crossroads Church in Arvada.  Following the service you are invited to share your lunch with us at Bennett’s BBQ.  For those who wish to attend the burial service, Ralph will receive full military honors on Monday, 23 March 2015 at Fort Logan National Cemetery.