David McReynolds writes:

Ralph DiGia ha(s) just died at St. Vincent's. 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.

Ralph, 93, had been the heart and soul of War Resisters League since he came on staff shortly after the end of the second world war and his release from federal prison, where
he had served a term for refusing service in World War II.

An associate of A. J. Muste, Bayard Rustin, Dave Dellinger, Barbara Deming, and many others. Ralph had held key posts over the years with Liberation magazine as well as being on the staff of War Resisters League. Ralph was not a public speaker, or a writer, so the general public was not aware of how key a role he had within the radical pacifist movement.

David promises a fuller obit later. Meanwhile, check out this Ralph D. interview by Phillip Metres and the 2003 NY Times puff piece, this obit-bio by John M. Miller and this very sweet Daily Kos memoir which catches Ralph's flavor well.

I last saw Ralph in mid-December at the holiday party of the War Resisters which was also a birthday party for him. He was in good humor and ate much more than his share of cake.

UPDATE: I skipped the funeral home (open casket) and went straight to the party-reception at the Catholic Worker, saw old friends, (acquaintances and enemies, too) schmoozed, talked about Ralph with his family, ate great food. Ralph would have loved it.

The WRL put a paid notice in the Times on Sunday (no obit yet) as well as a guest book. If you want to read other's thought's on Ralph life & death and add your own, click here. .

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