Ralph Strangis

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Strangis, Ralph Esteemed attorney, passed away peacefully in the arms of "the love of his life" Grace at their home on August 15, 2018. Ralph will be greatly missed by Grace and his children, Ralph Jr., Paul (Suzie), Jason, and Anthea; his stepchildren, Sara Grace and Nathan (Jessica) Newhall; grandchildren Savannah, Kristine, Sabrina, Sandy, Angel and Sal; his sister, Rita Carlson and numerous extended family which includes his law firm partners and staff; assistant, Macae (and former assistant Marcia); and his loving, loyal clients and friends. Ralph was a lifelong resident of Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was born on June 22, 1936 to Italian-Americans Salvatore (Sam) and Dorothy Strangis. As a young man, Ralph learned the value of hard work by putting in long hours at his extended family's Vescio's Restaurant. He attended the University of Minnesota where he received his B.S.L. degree in 1958 and his Juris Doctor degree in 1960 (magna cum laude; order of the coif). In 1978, Ralph and his longtime friend and colleague, Sam Kaplan, formed the boutique law firm of Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, P.A., where Ralph devoted himself to enthusiastically serving clients until the time of his death. Greatly loved and admired by his clients and friends, Ralph was known as a master negotiator, advisor and deal- maker always ensuring a deal was fair on all sides. He was the legal architect for the building of Target Field in Minneapolis and, more recently, the new soccer stadium, Allianz Field, in St. Paul. Ralph proudly served as Chairman of the Minnesota Racing Commission and on the boards of numerous corporations and civic organizations, including TCF Financial Corporation (TCF Bank), United Airlines, Flying Tiger International, National Presto, Inc., Allianz Life Insurance Company, Sit Investment Associates, RTP Company and OptumHealth Bank. Ralph was a person of deep faith and lived to serve others. At the time of his passing, he was serving as a Trustee of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and had previously served as a Trustee of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and as a Trustee of Catholic Eldercare. Ralph was an inspiration to all who knew him. He was brilliant, clever and tough, which made him a force to be reckoned with. While Ralph was a fierce advocate for his clients, he enjoyed life, family members and many, many loving friends. Ralph was always there to brighten the lives of others. He will be missed but never, ever forgotten. We are all measured by those who respect us, those who trust us, those who rely on us, those for whom we have done good thingsthose who love us. By these measures, Ralph's time on earth was well spent. The outpouring of love and kindness that he has received is beyond measure. A special thanks to Sister Claren Sellner (Grace's sister) and all the Sisters at Assisi Heights in Rochester, his caregivers, and the support of numerous priests and the St. John Vianney seminarians. The funeral Mass for Ralph will start at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 22, 2018, at Holy Cross Church, 1621 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. Attendees are invited to a luncheon following the service on the Third Floor of the Minneapolis Club, 729 2nd Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55402. There will be visitation on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1 Lourdes Place, Minneapolis, MN 55414. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Ralph's name to Pathways to Children Foundation, 100 2nd Street SE, Unit 1201, Mpls, MN 55414 pathwaystochildren.org Washburn-McReavy.com 763-789-4436

Published on August 22, 2018