Ralph Benjamin Turpin

Ralph Benjamin Turpin of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas passed away at his home on September 17, 2024. Ralph was born on September 11, 1946 in Clarinda, Iowa to the late Ralph Albert Turpin and Helen Marie Turpin (Fotis). Ralph was the oldest of three brothers who spent their early years in Iowa before moving to St. Louis, Missouri where Ralph would spend the majority of his childhood. Ralph’s father was a fighter pilot in World War II and flew missions off of the decks of aircraft carriers, and after the war flew his own Beechcraft Bonanza across the upper Midwest selling lawn mowers. Following in their father’s footsteps, all three Turpin boys became pilots, which would become an important part of Ralph’s adult life. As teenagers, the Turpin boys were known as the Flying Turpin Circus, a nickname given to them by the local airport manager and no doubt well earned. Relatives described Ralph as the “field general” of the Turpin boys, willing to try anything and exposing his brothers to many adventures such as wild cave spelunking, drag racing, and countless flying adventures. One of Ralph’s brothers described him as “having a great ability to identify opportunities for mischief.”

Ralph attended college at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri where he earned a B.S. degree in Marketing and Management. While at Missouri State University, Ralph met and fell in love with fellow MSU student, Bonnie Jean McCubbins. Bonnie was from the small, south-central Missouri town of Cabool and the two were a match made in heaven. After college, Ralph spent three years in the Army as a combat engineer, serving a one-year tour in Vietnam during the war. Before shipping out for Vietnam, he and Bonnie married in Cabool on July 17, 1970.

After Ralph’s military service, he and Bonnie settled into their life together, first in Blue Springs, Missouri, and then in the Dallas, Texas area for most of their working years. Ralph had an engaging personality and an unwavering positive outlook on life. He never met a stranger and would happily talk to anyone. These skills were well suited for his 32-year career with Architectural Textiles where Ralph sold commercial fabric to architects, hospitals, and store planners. As an area manager responsible for a four-state region, Ralph also enjoyed utilizing his skills as a pilot to efficiently cover such a large geography. Like his father, Ralph purchased his own Beechcraft Bonanza which he used extensively for work, but also for pleasure trips, vacations, terrifying young nieces and nephews, buzzing Bonnie’s parents’ house to announce their arrival in tiny Cabool for family holiday gatherings, evacuating stranded family members from the paths of hurricanes, and many other purposes, both legitimate and possibly questionable.

Upon retirement, Ralph and Bonnie moved to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas and built a home on Isabella Golf Course. Ralph loved Hot Springs Village, where he and Bonnie quickly made many friends and led an extremely active life. Among Ralph and Bonnie’s favorite activities was enjoying a strictly choreographed weekly tour of their favorite restaurants. Each establishment had its assigned day of the week and arrival time, which were both non-negotiable. Upon arrival, Ralph and Bonnie would be ushered to their favorite table, greeted by their favorite server, and proceed to hold court with the other regulars. Ralph and Bonnie developed close relationships with many of their favorite restaurant staff members, greatly appreciated good service, and tipped generously. Ralph had served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for many years while living in Mansfield, Texas, so he channeled those skills in Hot Springs Village, serving on many committees and a for a brief stint on the Board of Directors.

Throughout his life, Ralph was an avid golfer and retiring to Hot Springs Village inevitably led to more golf. He had numerous golf buddies who loved to tell stories about him almost as much as he enjoyed telling stories on them. Ralph rarely outdrove anyone, but he also rarely missed a fairway. His accurate approach shots and reliable short game were the source of frustration for many opponents. Ralph loved to host his nieces and nephews for golf games in Hot Springs Village, and he always insisted on a side bet or two. Somehow, Ralph always seemed to pocket the winnings of those artfully structured wagers. The losers did not mind because Ralph was so much fun to be around, plus he always picked up the tab for golf and dinner.

Ralph will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him. He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Bonnie, brother Terry Turpin, brother Jody Turpin, cousin Joline Neill, sister-in-law Linda Moore (Ron), sister-in-law Rebecca Carroll (Dana), sister-in-law Sheryl Melson, and many adoring nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews. A celebration of life is scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Diamante Country Club, 2000 Country Club Drive, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.