DePauw Mourns the Passing of Former Trustee Ralph S. Steele '46

October 4, 2016

The Rev. Dr. Ralph Samuel Steele, a 1946 graduate of DePauw and a former member of the University's Board of Trustees, died Saturday, October 1, in Valparaiso, Indiana.  He was 92 years old.

Born in Marathon, Ohio, Steele entered Butler University in 1942. He transferred to DePauw in 1944, where he was a philosophy major and served as a student pastor at Maple Heights Church. He then attended Boston University School of Theology and graduated in 1949 as president of his class. 

Dr. Steele was ordained by Bishop Richard C. Raines and served at Bethel Church in Indianapolis from 1949-53. As a member of the Northwest Indiana Conference of the Methodist Church he served at Danville Church 1953-57 and Grace Church, South Bend 1957-1964. He then was appointed Terre Haute District Superintendent until 1968.  Steele returned to minister at Hammond First Church 1968-75, Valparaiso First Church 1975-1980, and district superintendent from 1980-84.  His last ministry was at First United Methodist Church in Valparaiso, from which he retired in 1989.

He served on the Board of Trustees of DePauw from 1964-73, and he received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from DePauw in 1974. [photo of 1974 honorary degree recipients: Rev. Steele is far left, President William E. Kerstetter is in  center of the group]

A service will be held on Saturday, October 8, at the First United Methodist Church of Valparaiso, 103 Franklin Street.  Visitation will take place from 9:30-11:30 a.m. with the service beginning at 11:30 a.m.

An online obituary is available here.

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