Burial Date
Obituaries » RALPH F. TASSIE
TASSIE, RALPH F., 67, passed away at home March 5, after a long illness. Ralph was born Aug. 14, 1946, in Hartford, Conn. At age 3, his family moved to Montpelier, after his father’s sudden death. Ralph was predeceased by his three infants and his mother, Ethelyn Tassie Fitzsimons. Ralph graduated from St. Michael’s High School in 1965 and Vermont Technical College in 1968. He continued his education while working for IBM taking many classes at the University of Vermont. He married Elizabeth “Betty” Perry on Nov. 26, 1966. She was the love of his life. They enjoyed a wonderful life together traveling around the U.S. and a backpacking trip through Europe. They adopted their daughter, Heather Lynn, when she was 12 days old in April 1980. Ralph and Betty introduced her to camping when she was a few months old. Ralph began a 39-year career with IBM as a technician, engineer and manager based in Essex Junction. He enjoyed business travel to many states, Canada and Europe and temporary assignments to New York, Virginia and Florida, retiring in 2007. From an early age, Ralph enjoyed hunting, fishing, biking, hiking and boating. He loved shark tagging in Maine with his buddies, Jack and Steve. Playing golf with friends and especially Christi was a major Florida pastime. After retirement, Ralph and Betty bought a motor home and traveled up and down the East Coast with future plans to drive across the U.S. as they had done in the 1970s. They sold their home of over 20 years in Essex Junction and bought another in Ruskin, Fla., continuing to drive back to Vermont to live in the motor home for the summer and be near their daughter, Heather, and granddaughter. Ralph leaves behind his wife of 47 years, Betty; their wonderful daughter, Heather, her husband, Ray, and the joy of his life, Christi; his sister Sandra and husband, Malcolm Joslyn; his sister Dawn and husband, Ronald Stocker; many nieces and nephews.
