His politics didn't always coincide with my own, but I'll be impressed and surprised with myself if I show half the dedication and perseverance Ralph DiGia had.
(The obit below doesn't make it clear, but after his well-earned retirement, Ralph continued volunteering full-time for WRL, right up until the day of his final journey to St. Vincent's.)
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: WRL National Office <steve at warresisters.org> Date: Feb 1, 2008 4:19 PM Subject: Ralph DiGia: 1914-2008 To: Joseph <jncatron at gmail.com>
*Ralph DiGia*
*December 13, 1914 - February 1, 2008*
Ralph DiGia, lifelong war resister and pacifist died this afternoon in New York City. Ralph had a bad fall a couple of weeks ago, broke his hip, and has had a series of serious health problems following his admission to St. Vincent's Hospital.
Ralph, 93, has been the heart and soul of War Resisters League since he came on staff shortly after the end of WWII and his release from federal prison, where he had served a term for refusing service as a conscientious objector.
An associate of A. J. Muste, Bayard Rustin, Dave Dellinger, Barbara Deming, and many others, Ralph held key posts over the years with Liberation magazine as well as being on the staffof the War Resisters League. While Ralph was not a public speaker or a writer, he played a key a role within the radical pacifist movement, and was central to many of the major antiwar actions of the past six decades.
Ralph was deeply loved by the movement, especially by those at his political home, the War Resisters League. He is survived by his wife, Karin DiGia, his children, and his two brothers. Funeral and memorial arrangements are forthcoming.