Ralph Perez was born in Kansas City, Mo on April 20, 1927, to Alberto and Mary Perez. He is the second eldest of his eleven other siblings. They were a musical family, and everyone played an instrument. Ralph played the violin, the guitar and piano. Growing up his dad Alberto would
make homemade tortillas and the whole family would play music on the Plaza as Alberto sold his tortillas. This is how the family made a living.
The family was very poor and the kids at school were ruthlessly cruel and poked fun at his
tattered clothing. After his 8th grade graduation, he never went back to school. Ralph was very musically inclined and could play music by ear. Ralph also loved to sing. Music was such a huge part of his life for many years. During many of his concerts on the Plaza he noticed this
beautiful lady kept coming to see him play. Aurora was her name.
Ralph and Aurora were married on August 4, 1945. He was a welder for some time but then was drafted into the Army towards the end of WWII. He was sent over to Korea to help get the Japanese out of Korea. Ralph served eighteen months in the Army. They had three children
together. Ralph Jr., John, and Rosemary. Ralph continued with his love for music and play in a
stringed quartet. He also enjoyed golfing and fishing with Aurora.
Together they owned A and R Western Wear and Ryder Truck rental. They also owned a
restaurant for several years and owned and operated a farm in Ballard, Mo. Tragically, Ralph and Aurora lost their son John in 1965 to a car accident and Ralph Jr. in 2006. On December 29,
2022, Ralph and Aurora came to CHCR as they knew they required more assistance. Ralph
suffered the greatest loss of his life on June 12, 2023, when his best friend and the love of his
life for 78 years, Aurora passed away.
He is learning to live life without her, but it hasn’t been easy. Ralph’s advice to the younger
generation is “Get along with people and have respect for others. Especially your parents.”
Ralph still enjoys music and golf. However, his favorite pass time is spending time with his
beloved daughter Rosemary. What a pleasure it is to have Ralph at Clinton Healthcare and
Rehabilitation.
