Joe Brandon Rabke

Ronnie’s short story,"US 47", about a young man facing important career and life choices made a strong  impression on me and I often thought about it in the years after I graduated from Churchill.  If I remember correctly, I believe the story even won some kind of national award. Just as the character in his short story ultimately decides to do, Ronnie took a less traditional path with his life. Though very intelligent and quite capable of succeeding in college, I think Ronnie ended up joining the Merchant Marine and making a living as a sailor.

I lost contact with Ronnie in the years right after high school, but our paths crossed again in the late seventies.  I had just accepted a job as a research assistant for the UT Marine Geophysical Lab in Galveston. My new job would require me to spend some time at sea on research gathering cruises, and, before leaving Austin, I had arranged with my new boss to move directly on to the lab’s research ship, instead of finding a place to live in Galveston. As we would soon be departing on a month’s long research exploration of the Middle America Trench, in the Pacific Ocean near Central America, I wouldn’t be needing an apartment for a while. I still remember pulling up to the dock in Galveston to unpack my car and load gear into my quarters aboard the ship.  As I was walking through the galley, I heard a familiar voice and saw a familiar face.  It was none other than Ronnie Ash! Ronnie and I would spend the next two month’s together working aboard the Research Vessel Ida Green, he as a member of the ship’s crew, and I as a member of the scientific party.

Sorry to hear about his passing.

Joe (Brandon) Rabke