Ralph Donald Laws

Ralph Donald Laws was born April 2, 1936, in Hamilton, Ravalli County, Montana.

He was the son of Ralph J. Laws and Margaret E. Nicholson, both early residents of the Bitterroot Valley. Ralph James, born in 1884, was from Kansas and Margaret Ellen was born near Como in 1895.

Ralph lived near Darby for seven years, then in Hamilton where he graduated in 1954. He was in the Army 1954-1956 stationed at Fort Ord, Herzo Base, Germany, and Devens, Massachusetts.

He attended MSU, now the University of Montana, Missoula, 1956-1960. During that time he met and married Sandra Moss of Richland, Washington (born in Oklahoma – an Okie from Muskogee), a nursing student at St. Patrick’s School of Nursing in Missoula.

Ralph and Sandra lived in Moses Lake from 1960 to 1998. Ralph taught math at Frontier Junior High, retiring in 1991. Sandra had many nursing-based jobs and retired in 1998 after 20 years as the one and only school nurse.

Ralph and Sandra moved to Cheney in 1998 where they helped raise their grandchildren and later Hannah Moss, a grandniece. During their time in Moses Lake they had over 50 foster children. Over the years, they also helped more than 50 other people with a place to stay, from days to many months.

Ralph lived a conservative lifestyle (his sons said cheap), but was liberal in his thinking. He did many things from the shopping, cooking, fixing and volunteering. He was always thinking of new projects but time, effort or expense often stood in his way. He always said "This is probably the first project he ever finished."

Ralph is survived by his wife of 63 years Sandra; sons Gordon of Cheney, Curtis of Moses Lake and Jason of Spokane; grandchildren Elysiya, Patrick and Steven of Spokane; sister Margery Bahrt, the Bahrt Bunch, the Pappas People and special grandniece Hannah Moss. He was preceded by his parents, brother James and all aunts, uncles and cousins of his generation.

By his request no service is to be held. There will be a memorial gathering in Spokane, Washington, on Feb. 26. For information please text or call Jason Laws, (509) 499-4821.

He died of multiple melanoma, the same condition that took his brother Jim.