Ralph W. LeGrow of Willington passed away on April 24 after a valiant battle with cancer. He was born May 11, 1947 at Chelsea, MA, a son of Harold and Patricia (Theodore) LeGrow.A 28-year Army veteran and Master Aviator, he retired with the rank of Colonel. Ralph earned a B.A. in History from Northeastern University and an M.S. in Vocational and Educational Guidance from Troy State University. He was a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College where he served as an instructor, and a graduate of the Army War College. During Desert Shield/Storm he commanded Task Force Warrior aviation battalion, afterwards serving at UCONN asProfessor of Military Science and later at the Pentagon as Chief of Force Readiness Division. His service awards include the Master Army Aviator Badge, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Army Achievement Medal. His military service included a tour of duty in Korea, a total of eight years in Germany, and postings to military units in Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Kansas, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
After retirement from the Army, Ralph administered an InfoTech scholarship for the Connecticut Department of Higher Education and taught Business and Leadership courses at Manchester Community College. He enjoyed using carpentry skills inherited from his father and grandfather to upgrade his home and help neighbors with their repairs and improvement projects. Ralph looked forward every year to hosting and serving as a cook at the French-Canadian Genealogical Society’s volunteer picnic. He was a lifelong Red Sox fan, a member of the BMW Car Club of Connecticut, and an avid bicyclist, logging over 3,000 miles in the two years preceding his illness.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Maryanne (Roy) LeGrow, daughter Jane and her husband Adam Shaughnessy, daughter Mary, son Peter, and the great joy of his life, granddaughter May Marilyn Shaughnessy, as well as siblings Harold LeGrow (Mary), Richard LeGrow, Nancy Ryan (Jim), Ellen Ferreira (Buddy), Paul LeGrow (Denise), and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends in the U.S. and Germany. He was predeceased by his parents and an identical twin, Peter Alan LeGrow.
A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, May 13 at the Tolland Memorial Funeral Home. Interment with highest military honors will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust, 3725 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076 (http://cst.dav.org/).