Ralph A. Gebhardt

 Ralph Alwin Gebhardt, passed away January 31, 2016.

He was born in Brooklyn, NY to German immigrants, Paola (Mechler) and Otto Gebhardt. For high school, he attended Deerfield Academy graduating in 1947. He had always been a star baseball player and upon graduating from Deerfield, he was recruited by the Brooklyn Dodgers to play for them in the famous “Brooklyn against the World” baseball game. His baseball career thus began as offers from the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds, amongst others, came pouring in.
     Despite his baseball offers, Ralph opted to go to college. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1951, after playing four more years of good baseball. That summer he suffered a devastating blow to his shoulder, which ended his baseball career. At this point, Ralph decided to enter into the family business, a German restaurant in Glendale, NY called “Gebhardts”. He retained ownership until he closed the doors in 1992 to retire. Gebhardts Restaurant became a well known establishment, being a favorite dining spot for celebrities such as Carroll O’Connor, Vitas Gerulitis and Paul Newman, amongst others. The restaurant, under Ralph’s tutelage, earned a Five Star rating in the New York papers.
     Ralph married his sweetheart, June Holmes, on October 6, 1951. They had known each other since their childhood days in elementary school. They moved to Forest Hills Gardens after their daughter, Judi, was born. Since Ralph could no longer play baseball, he took up tennis and joined the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. Ralph created and ran a Junior Tennis program and was also appointed Vice President of the Club.
     In 1992, Ralph and his family moved to Massachusetts and settled in Bernardston. He quickly became involved with a group of tennis players, later known as the “Venerables”. Ralph was also a big help to his daughter, Judi, when she owned Jameson’s Wine and Spirits in Greenfield. He could sell a bottle of wine with knowledge and expertise.
     He leaves behind the love of his life, June, after 64 years of marriage, his daughter Judi (Gebhardt-Jameson) and her husband Robert Webster, grandsons Kyle Jameson and Bradford Webster, his brother Charles and wife Helen, two nephews, a niece and numerous cousins.
     A memorial service, where all are invited to attend and perhaps share a few memories about Ralph, on Sunday, February 21, 2016 at the Terrazza Ristorante, located at the Country Club of Greenfield, starting at 12 noon.
    
 

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