Ralph Cornell Glapion, 86, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, at the Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCare Center.
Ralph was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 20, 1932, to Henry and Philomene Glapion. He often told tales of filling his pockets with French bread and playing all day with the alligators in the Louisiana Bayous.
Ralph honorably served in the U.S. Army for more than 30 years and had wartime service in both Korea and Vietnam. Upon retirement, he moved to North Carolina, and worked for the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, where he met his wife, Suzanne. They relocated to Holden Beach, and then Wilmington, where they have lived for 27 years, raising their children, Michelle Glapion McLean (Matt) and Michael Glapion (Kaitlyn), and enjoying time with their granddaughter, Isabelle, extended family and friends.
His family wishes to thank New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Lower Caper Fear Hospice for the excellent care they provided to Ralph during his illness. Memorials in his name may be made to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice Foundation or a local charity of choice.
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 2 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10, at 122 Tarpon Drive, Holden Beach.
The tide recedes, but leaves behind
Bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down but gentle warmth
Still lingers on the land.
The music stops and yet it lingers on
In sweet refrain.
For every joy that passes
Something beautiful remains.
The Tide Recedes — M.D. Hughes
Share online condolences with the family at Wilmington Funeral & Cremation.
