Dr. Ralph O. Blackwood, PhD., 88, of Sharon Twp. passed away Saturday August 21, 2010. He was born August 3, 1922 in Ball, KS to the late Robert and Mary Blackwood. Ralph grew up in the Southwest United States during the great depression and later served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he received his Bachelor degree from Muskingham College, his Masters and Doctorate from The Ohio State University. He spent two years in India teaching and working in the village improvement program set up by the late Mahatma Gandhi. In 1956 he was the Chairman of the Hutchinson Kansas Council on Human Relations, a group related with the Congress of Racial Equality. He taught at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Bridgeport, before joining the staff at The University of Akron, where he spent the next 26 years doing research and teaching Educational Psychology, Statistics and Research Design. He was preceded in death by three brothers; Henry, William and Glen Blackwood.
Ralph is survived by his daughter Susie Reddish-Cahlik and son-in-law Jim Cahlik of Sharon Township., son Clay Blackwood, four grandchildren; Rachel and Vince Reddish of Sharon Twp., and James and Alyssa Blackwood of South Carolina; brothers John (Cleo) Blackwood of Colorado, Wallace (Mildred) of Kansas, and Clyde (Mabel) Blackwood of Oklahoma.
Calling hours Friday, August 27, 2010 10:00-11:00a.m. at the Hilliard-Rospert Funeral Home, 174 N. Lyman St., Wadsworth, Ohio. Services to follow at 11:00 a.m. Interment at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery