Obituary of Ralph William Dority, Jr.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Ralph William Dority, Jr. of Sterling, VA and Nashville, TN on the evening of Wednesday, April 25, 2018. Ralph was, for 30 years, the loving husband of Linda Penrose Dority, proud father of Butch Dority, Dawn Dority Montes, and David Dority, stepfather to Christie Storey Schroeder, and Karen Storey Gryszan, beloved grandfather of Jessica Montes Calvi, Jeremy Montes, Jennifer Montes, Harley Dority, and Cody Dority, and great grandfather of Emile Calvi and Lucas Calvi.
 
Ralph was born in Nashville, TN in 1937 to parents Lillian (Billie) Dority and Ralph William Dority, Sr. He grew up in the Nashville area and joined the Air Force in 1955, where he trained and served as an air traffic controller. After serving his country proudly, he continued to follow his passion for aviation as an air traffic controller, entering government service in San Antonio, TX with the FAA. Over the course of his 40-years with the FAA, he served in multiple roles, including Air Traffic Manager, FAA Academy Instructor, and System Capacity Program Manager. Throughout his career, Ralph received a great deal of recognition, earning many Outstanding Service Awards. Ralph retired from government service in 1998 and went on to provide services as an aviation consultant and analyst to a number of clients, including the NARI, ATCA, and Northrup Grumman, for another ten years.
 
Throughout his adult life, Ralph was captivated by aviation beyond it being the focus of his career. He put a great deal of time and energy into obtaining his private and commercial pilot’s licenses, logging over 2500 hours at “the stick”, and he would always find any reason he could to visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He was also a dedicated member and leader in community organizations including the Jaycees, multiple Chambers of Commerce, the Masonic Lodge, and International Shriners.
 
Ralph will be dearly missed by his many friends and our entire family. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, May 3 at Floris United Methodist Church, located at 13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon, VA 20171. He will then journey with Linda to his final resting place at Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashville, TN, to rest in peace and love in the company of beloved mother and father.
 
Anyone wishing to remember and honor Ralph, in lieu of sending flowers, there are two organizations about which he was passionate, and we invite you to donate whatever you are able to, in his loving memory, to Shriners Hospital for Children (https://donate.lovetotherescue.org) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org).