Ralph Borton

Ralph Borton lived a life rich in faith, family, and friends. In confronting a challenge, it was typically met with unwavering determination and stubborn grit. As a dedicated family man, Ralph deeply cherished being surrounded by loved ones. Generous and with wisdom, his impact could often change a difficult situation with a comforting prayer, and perhaps a not so gentle joke. It was these character traits that were shared to those he rubbed shoulders with.

During the difficult years of the Great Depression and following the stock market crash, every day life could be difficult for young families. During this time of financial, emotional, physical and spiritual hardship, there was a ray of light in the lives of Ira”Albert” Borton and Ruth Babcock of Vicksburg, Michigan. They announced the arrival of their first child on January 4,1932, a son they named Ralph Edwin, with six younger siblings following afterwards.

As a boy growing up during the Depression era, Ralph quickly learned the importance of hard work. He was raised in a small family stone house in Cooper and remembered taking many deer hunting trips up North, where his father allowed him to drive a Model A Ford before he was of legal age. Ralph loved to hunt game and fish that was purposefully harvested as a food source at a young age. When he was 14, he left home to live with the Geschwendt family. Ralph milked, maintained a dairy herd and drove a team of horses in exchange for his room and board. The bonus at the end of the season was a calf, which he could choose to either raise or sell. It was this family that led Ralph to the Lord as a young man, building the foundation of faith that would serve him well throughout his entire life.

Ralph attended Plainwell High School and was known to get into his share of mischief with his buddies, sometimes avoiding being caught. Ralph enjoyed shop class and working on cars. These skills allowed him to become a track vehicle mechanic and later a dispatcher when he was drafted into the United States Army to serve in the Korean War in August of 1952. Ralph was deployed to Korea, where he worked his way up to the rank of Corporal. Ralph often described the military experience as “the most rewarding opportunity he ever had, but he didn’t want to do it again.” Ralph returned home in 1954, after two years of honorable service.

Of all the things Ralph loved in life, his family was his greatest treasure. He fell in love with the woman who would become his first wife, Nancy Taft, who he married in 1956. Creating a wonderful life together, they built a home farmed and hunted together and they were very active in their church. Ralph and Nancy were overjoyed to welcome their three sons; Gary, Roger, and Mark. To support his family, he worked for the Grand Trunk Railroad upon discharge from the Army and afterwards, was a supervisor of animal care for the Upjohn Company at all three campuses. After 22 years of marriage, Nancy passed away in December of 1978.

Three years later, Ralph once again found love with the woman who would become his second wife, Denise. The two met at Upjohn and were united in marriage in 1981. Ralph and Denise enjoyed traveling to many different U.S. states. They were also able to travel the world together, visiting Hungary, Poland, Austria, Hawaii, Alaska and Ralph’s ancestral home in Anyho, England.

Ralph became a grandfather to eleven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren and enjoyed introducing them to the things that he could share with and teach them about. Examples would be treating them to ice cream in his Model A, riding the fields in the Jeep, looking at different trees and wildlife. It was a blessing to watch the Borton family grow in numbers as responsible and accomplished grandchildren matured and began families of their own that put the Lord central in their lives.

Ralph’s faith was truly the foundation of his life. All those around him felt the impact of his love for the Lord in his eagerness to serve. Ready to offer his skills as a farmer, mechanic, or woodworker to anyone in need, he loved to host a men’s breakfast that often included a pastor friend for faith-based conversations. Prayer was central to Ralph, as he was very involved in church and was committed to serving in any capacity. Ralph was an elder, a deacon, Sunday school teacher and Boy’s Brigade Ranger. Camping with the boys was especially enjoyable and an opportunity to be a testimony to those boys were in broken or single parent homes. Friendships made during that time often continued well beyond into adulthood for those boys that were troubled.

Ralph had a lifelong love for the great outdoors and was able to go fishing in Alaska and hunting in Canada. Patriotic and having a deep love for his country, he went on the Talons Out Honor Flight. A member of the Grape Country Model A car club, Ralph could often be called up to trouble shoot a mechanical problem or teach mechanics to a novice antique car owner. Although Ralph enjoyed touring with the club, he preferred driving his cars to simply showing them. He was especially proud of the 1929 Model A Coupe that all of the sons helped him restore from buckets, boxes and loose parts to the completed and drivable vehicle. Woodworking and carpentry was one of Ralph’s gifts and he created a personal shop building custom cabinets, molding, and even three houses which included two cabins he assembled on property in Grayling, Michigan, that was purchased in the early 60s.

When reflecting on the life of Ralph Borton, it is easy to see both his unyielding strength and his unconditional love for his family. His insatiable zest for life was contagious and there was nothing that brought Ralph greater joy than holding his loved ones close. Always willing to go above and beyond to serve others, Ralph gave freely of his time and energy, and he exemplified what it meant to follow faithfully after his Lord and Savior. Dearly missed, Ralph leaves behind a priceless legacy of compassion and selflessness that his friends and family will be proud to carry on in his footsteps.

Ralph Borton of Kalamazoo, age 94, entered his eternal home on March 22, 2026. Please join us at a Life Story Visitation on Wednesday, March 25, from 5-7 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. On Thursday, March 26, Visitation will begin at 10 AM with a Service at 11 AM at Oakwood Bible Church. A reception will follow in the church hall. Private burial at Hill Cemetery. Celebrate Ralph’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial contributions may be made to Faith Chapel.