Scott J. Ralston
1934-2013
Scott Joel Ralston, 79, of Pace, Florida died November 2, 2013 at West Florida Hospital.
He was born May 29, 1934 in New Castle, to the late Ellis and Mary Grossman Ralston.
Scott joined the Navy in 1952 and was stationed at Whiting Field in Milton. FL, where he met his wife, Nancy Brown Ralston. They were married for 58 years. After 4 years of service he was honorably discharged and worked briefly as a draftsman for Chemstrand Corp. before attending the Federal Aviation Academy in Oklahoma City, OK, where he graduated as an Air Traffic Controller. He served as a controller for 30 years at numerous stations including Kenai, AK, Key West, FL and Tallahassee, FL before settling in Milton, FL where he worked in Flight Service and Tower Control at the Pensacola Regional Airport. He was Regional Director in the Air Traffic Controllers Union (NAATS) and served as President of the Retired Air Traffic Controllers Association.
After retiring he taught computer programming at the University of Oklahoma. A pilot and avid golfer, Scott enjoyed working on computers and a good conversation.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Karen (Joseph) MacGillivray of Peachtree City, GA , Sharon (Steven) Kator of Milton, FL, three grandchildren Katherine MacGillivray, J. Scott MacGillivray and Kelly (Doug) Kallis of Fayetteville, GA, and a sister, Florence Ridenbaugh of New Castle.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Maxine Fitzgerald, and brother, Delmar J. Ralston.
