Ralph Preston King

Ralph Preston King II, age 52, of Ocean Springs, passed away on Friday, October 2, 2020. Ralph was born in Quezon City, Republic of The Philippines, while his father was stationed there with the USAF. He was a lifelong resident of Ocean Springs. He served as both an altar boy and Eucharistic minister at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in his youth. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi in 1990 and later his Juris Doctor degree in 1993. While at Ole Miss, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, for which he served as president. He was in private law practice for many years in his beloved office on Government St. in downtown Ocean Springs. He would have open houses for family and friends for the Mardi Gras parades every year. Many wonderful memories were made there as a result of his generous spirit. Before his health declined in recent years, he was known to be a passionate historian, reader, traveler and foodie. He was a fanatic Ole Miss/Saints football and Billy Joel fan. He attended numerous Billy Joel Concerts over the years and was thrilled to meet his idol in person and express his appreciation for his talent while dining out in the French Quarter years ago. He was a keen observer of world events and politics and never shied away from a spirited political debate. His quick wit and innate ability to fill a room with riotous laughter will be dearly missed by the friends and family he leaves behind. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Mary Edna King, as well as his brother and best friend Jason S. King. He is survived by his beloved aunts and many cousins who became his surrogate brothers and sisters. In closing we find it fitting to quote the lyrics of Lullabye by Billy Joel: “Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes and save these questions for another day. Where ever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away. The waters dark and deep, inside this ancient heart you’ll always be a part of me. Someday we’ll all be gone but lullabies go on and on, they never die. That’s how you and I will be…” A private Memorial service will be held at Crestlawn Memorial Park at a future date. Bradford O’Keefe in Ocean Springs is honored to serve this family.