Ralph W. Burkhead, 90, of Canon City, Colo., formerly of Rock Island, died Oct. 14, 2015 in Canon City.

A memorial service will be held at 1 pm on Friday Oct. 30, 2015 at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island. Inurnment will be at the National Cemetery, Arsenal Island, where military honors will be presented by Moline American Legion Post 246. Memorials may be made to St. Pius X Catholic Church, or to the American Heart Association.

Ralph was born Oct. 15, 1924 in Kalamazoo, Mich., a son of Fred and Dorothy Timm Burkhead. He married Lorna McDougall on July 16, 1949 in Ottawa, Ill. She died Sept. 26, 2007.

He retired as a line supervisor from Illinois Bell Telephone, where he worked for 36 years. Ralph also worked part-time for the Reynolds Phone Co. of which he was part owner.

Ralph was a WW II U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He was a member of St. Pius X Catholic Church, Rock Island and the Telephone Pioneers of America. Ralph was an accomplished fast pitch softball pitcher and played well into his 70's. He enjoyed camping, working in the yard and washing cars.

Survivors include his children, Sherry Tonish, Canon City, Colo., Daniel (Jan) Burkhead, Rock Island, Lynette (Scott) Grabau, Westminster, Colo., Scot Burkhead (fiancée, Regina Cimino), Rock Island, and Laurie Burkhead, Phoenix, Ariz.; grandchildren, Shawn (Tonia) Sutton, Ryan Sutton, Emily Tonish, Zach (Amanda) Burkhead, Sam Burkhead, Kimberly Grabau and Tony Grabau; great-grandchildren, Breezyn and Lily Sutton and Kayden Burkhead; sister. Joan Hancks, Rock Island; brother, David Burkhead, Rock Island; and sister-in-law, Edith Brown, Bettendorf. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; and brothers, Edward and Jerome Burkhead.

Online condolences may be left at wheelanpressly.com.