Ralph Wayne Moorehead

Ralph Wayne Moorehead, PhD, 86, passed into the arms of our Lord as he was surrounded by his family in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, January 20, 2019, after a valiant fight with ALS.

Ralph was born on September 19, 1932, in Hundred, West Virginia.  Ralph is survived by his wife Annette, his three sons Randall, Ronald, and Richard, his seven grandchildren Reilly Watanabe, Tess Griffin, Christopher Moorehead, Derek Moorehead, Nicholas Moorehead, Lexi Moorehead, and Aaron Moorehead, and his three great-grandchildren Troy and Trevor Watanabe, and Ruby Griffin.  Ralph was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to all.   He was preceded in death by his sister, Mildred Allene Butler.

Ralph left high school to join the military.  After serving in the Air Force during the Korean conflict, including earning a Purple Heart, he married Annette on January 14, 1954.  He and Annette both attended college while raising a family, and after earning a bachelor degree in education at Arizona State College (now Northern Arizona University), Ralph started teaching and coaching high school football in 1959 in Wickenburg, Arizona.  Never one to stop learning, Ralph continued his education, earning his PhD by 1966.

Ralph held a number of positions in college administration during his career with the University of Wyoming (1962-1966), Arizona Western College (1966-1977) and San Juan College (1977-2017), including Dean of Student Affairs, Dean of Instruction, and Director for Academic Education. He used his psychology background while working with Awareness House in Yuma, Arizona, in a program to combat drug abuse.  He retired from administration in 1999, and became a San Juan College Emeriti Professor of Psychology.  With that, he was able once again to use his passion for teaching, and taught psychology classes from then until 2017.

Ralph loved to dote on his wife of 65 years, taking frequent trips with her to visit family, doll museums and events, and fun destinations like Hawaii, Europe, and Disneyland.  He also enjoyed football, especially college football, reading, and fishing.  He like to play golf when he lived in Yuma, and even shot a hole-in-one during one round.

A funeral service will be held in Farmington at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at RiverStone (First United Methodist) Church.