William Ramaley Obituary

Fort Lewis College Professor Emeritus William Charles Ramaley died Sunday, June 9, 2013, in Durango. He was 73. Mr. Ramaley had suffered from heart problems for many years.

Known as "Bill," he was born to Edward Jackson and Pauline Frances (Folk) Ramaley on Aug. 31, 1939, in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio State University and went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Colorado in 1969. He received several honors, including being inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi.

On March 18, 1967, he married Annette Watersin in Northfield, Minn. During the next four years, they lived in Minnesota during the winter and spent their summers at a cabin west of Estes Park. They climbed every significant mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Throughout a 42-year teaching career, Mr. Ramaley tried to help students learn math in a liberal arts setting. After teaching at CU, Colorado College and Carleton College in Minnesota, he came to Fort Lewis College in 1973. He retired in 2003.

He served in numerous positions in math organizations, including chairman of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Math Association of America. At FLC, he helped establish the Sigma Xi Club. And as an editor for the Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics, he helped organize a conference for the Rocky Mountain Consortium.

He wrote two textbooks, Functional Calculus and Applied Calculus, which were published in 1995.

While at Colorado College, he became interested in Western history and published articles in The Denver Post, Teton Annual and other newspapers. His book Trails and Trail Builders of the Rocky Mountain National Park is available in the park.

In 1979, Mr. Ramaley was appointed to the city of Durango Water Commission, serving for more than 30 years. His family said he was a passionate advocate for water storage for the city.

The Ramaleys loved dogs and hiking. Mr. Ramaley also enjoyed irises, collecting piano sheet music with "Colorado" in the title and railroads, working at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad after his retirement. He also volunteered at the museum at the Durango Fish Hatchery.

Mr. Ramaley is survived by his wife of 46 years, Annette Ramaley of Durango; daughter, Julia Ramaley Mastro of Cary, N.C.; brothers, James Ramaley of Gettysburg, Pa., and Robert Ramaley of Omaha, Neb.; and extended family members.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16, 2013, at Hood Mortuary Chapel, 1261 East Third Ave.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the La Plata County Historical Society, P.O. Box 3384, Durango, CO 81302; or San Juan County Historical Society, P.O. Box 154, Silverton, CO 81433.