Ralph A. Higgins

Ralph A. Higgins, age 90, of Savanna, died Monday, June 04, 2012 at Big Meadows Nursing Home in Savanna. A time of sharing will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 23, 2012 at Law – Jones Funeral Home in Savanna. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the time of sharing. In lieu of flowers, donations can be given to the Savanna Public Library in the name of Ralph Higgins.
Ralph was born in Quincy, Illinois on May 17, 1922, the first child of Arthur Higgins (1891-1967) and Grace Higgins-Godfrey (1894-1988) who lived in Savanna for many years after her husband passed.
Ralph attended primary school in Quincy, was initiated into the National Honor Society and graduated from Quincy High School in 1940. He earned 4 varsity letters in sports while playing on the basketball and track teams and was named honorary Q.H.S Cage Captain for 1939-40. He enrolled at Quincy College in the fall of 1940 and then transferred to the University of Illinois - College of Pharmacy in September of 1941. His pharmacy education was interrupted when he enlisted in the United States Navy in September of 1942. He attended the Navy V-12 College Training Program at Purdue and Columbia Universities. Upon graduation he was commissioned and served as a Gunnery Officer, Navigator, First Lieutenant, and Commanding Officer of Landing Ship, Tank (LST) 744. He served as Executive Officer on LST 744 during the Pacific campaign and was awarded a Victory Ribbon WW II, American Theater Ribbon, Philippine Liberation 2 stars and Asiaric Pacific 9 stars. After the Japanese surrender he helped return Japanese troops to Japan, visited numerous ports in China and the Pacific and was discharged from the Navy on August 21, 1946.
Upon his return to the United States he married Elsie Laura DiStefano of Chicago, the daughter of Giacomo DiStefano and Barteloma (Celfo) DiStefano, on December 7, 1946 at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Chicago. He resumed his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois – College of Pharmacy, was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in June of 1947 and became a registered pharmacist in the State of Illinois where he practiced for 46 years.
In 1949 Ralph and Elsie had a son, Bryan Higgins and in 1955 a daughter, Gail Higgins. Ralph worked as a pharmacist at various drugstores in Illinois and in 1957 opened his own drugstore in a new shopping mall in DeKalb, Illinois. In 1965 he purchased Johnson’s Drug and the family moved to Savanna. For a considerable time, Ralph was elected and held positions on the Savanna School Board and Public Library Board. He was also an active member of the Savanna Rotary Club for many years and hosted international Rotary guests at his home from Lebanon and Kenya.
Ralph was an avid tennis player, golfer and walker. He won numerous Savanna tennis trophies and he and Mel Jones were crowned the doubles-tennis champions of Savanna on multiple occasions. For many years he and Elsie displayed their global connections by flying flags from select countries above the cupola on their 4th street house. He retired in 1993 and continued to enjoy golfing, long walks, visiting his children & grandchildren in Texas and Vermont and watching the seasonal migration of birds along the Mississippi flyway in North America.
Ralph will be dearly missed by his son, Bryan Higgins and his wife, Shelley Warren of Burlington, Vermont; his daughter Gail Higgins of Anna, Texas; five grandchildren, Adam, Grace and Travis Higgins, as well as Andrea and Adrienne Butcher. Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Elsie, and his brother Donald as well as Don’s wife Mary, who both also lived in Savanna with their family during the 1980’s. Ralph will also be dearly missed by Donald’s three children; Donna, Heather (Higgins) Sukow and Kelley (Higgins) Magana (who helped Ralph and Elsie with many of life’s challenges in their older years) as well as Heather and Kelly’s children. He will also be missed by Elsie’s sister Agnes and the extended DiStefano family.