Ralph Hallberg
Ralph Hallberg
On April 19, 2026, we lost a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, and public servant. In our loss he has found his peace. Ralph, who passed at the age of 91, was a resident of Leesburg, Florida. He was born February 25, 1935 in Jamestown, New York.
Ralph was a graduate of Jamestown High School, class of 1953. He served in the Naval Reserves before completing three years of service in the United States Army, including two years in the U.S. Army Communications Administrative Network in Tokyo, Japan. After his military service, Ralph became the first member of his family to attend college, graduating from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia in 1961. He also completed post-graduate studies at Syracuse University and SUNY at Buffalo. He dedicated 31 years to the Jamestown Public School System as a teacher and administrator, finishing his career as an assistant principal at Jamestown High School in 1993.
He was a proud member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) for 30 years, serving at Norton Memorial Hall and the Amphitheater at the Chautauqua Institution. Ralph was a lifelong lover of music and played guitar. He was also an avid bowler and golfer. Ralph was a talented dancer as well, showing no hesitation in taking the floor with his wife at family gatherings and social events. He maintained a lifelong passion for automobiles, beginning with sneaking his father’s car from the family garage as a young teenager. Ralph also developed practical skills as a handyman, tackling plumbing, painting, and other projects around his homes and those of his sons.
Before moving to Florida, he had been a life-long member of First Lutheran Church in Jamestown, where he sang for many years in the church choir and served on the church council. He also enjoyed singing in the chorus at his retirement community in Leesburg.
He was preceded in death by his father, G. Martin Hallberg; his mother, Margaret Calabrese Hallberg; his brother, Ronald Hallberg; and his sons, Brent and Ward Hallberg. Ralph is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Sylvia Hayes Hallberg; his sons, Martin Hallberg (Robin), Kent (Evangelia), and Kurt (Itir); his brother, Raymond Hallberg; grandchildren, Lindsay Ann Hammarlund, Britta Vail, Kendall Hallberg, Lacey Houk, Brent Hallberg, and Emre Hallberg; and eight great-
grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 23 at 11:00 a.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Leesburg, Florida. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Cornerstone Hospice, The Villages, Florida, or to the American Heart Association.