Ralph Rampton

Ralph Junior Rampton, 100, of Provo passed away Saturday, April 20, 2019. He was born July 7, 1918 in Layton, Utah to Elgie Adams Rampton and Ralph Loren Rampton. He married Bonnie Bea Reese of Brigham City, Utah on February 18, 1938. Bonnie passed away on January 12, 2002.

Ralph grew up riding his horse to school and built his first car out of old Model T parts to deliver newspapers. He took up the trumpet as a boy and garnered statewide honors as a high school soloist from 1933 through 1935. He later played professionally in big bands, once playing with Tommy Dorsey. He and Bonnie married in 1938 but World War II and the US Navy interrupted his college career, delaying graduation from Utah State Agricultural College until 1946. Ralph worked for the American Legion until he joined the FBI as a very Special Agent in April, 1951 serving 25 years.

FBI assignments took Bonnie and Ralph and a growing family to Lincoln, Nebraska; Cincinnati; three separate tours at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; Birmingham; Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; New York City and, finally, Los Angeles. Ralph served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge in both Birmingham and Boston during interesting times; he was heavily involved in the Martin Luther King assassination investigation and Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers case. He also served as Special Agent in Charge in Charlotte (surviving two shootouts), New York and Los Angeles where he retired in 1976. After retirement, Ralph worked as a Regional Vice President of Intertel in Los Angeles doing private corporate security work. He and Bonnie remained in Westlake Village, California until 2001 when they moved to Orem, Utah to be closer to family.

After Bonnie’s passing in 2002 Ralph soldiered on, living in his Orem home until moving to Provo last November. Their retirement years included international travel and many trips to visit and enjoy family scattered around the U.S. They were always a rock of stability for their family; loving, encouraging, supporting, and fiercely defending one and all. Ralph personified the FBI’s motto, Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity, both professionally and privately in the home.

Ralph is survived by five children, Ralph (Sheila) Rampton of Walla Walla, Washington; Carolyn (Mike) Maughan of Orem, Utah; Greg (Robyn) Rampton of American Fork, Utah; Scott Rampton of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Michael (Laurie) Rampton of Smithfield, Utah; and his sister, Evelyn (John) Lauck of Sugarland, Texas. Ralph and Bonnie have 18 grandchildren, 56 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. Ralph was preceded in death by his wife and a brother, Jack Rampton.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 11 am in the Canyon View 4th Ward LDS Chapel located at 800 East 1200 North, Orem, Utah. A viewing for friends and family will be held from 6 to 8 pm Friday evening at the church, and on Saturday just prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 am also at the church. Burial will be in the Brigham City Cemetery with military rites by the American Legion. The family extends their sincere and heartfelt thanks to Debbie Waters, Lindsay Bishop, Jaydean Yee, Jessica Sleight and the caring staffs at Legacy Village of Provo and Bristol Hospice.