Obituary of Ralph Patrick Tobin

Parkston – Ralph Patrick Tobin, 69, went to his heavenly home Friday, June 15 at his home in Parkston. Funeral service will be Tuesday, June 19 at 10:30 am at Salem Lutheran Church in Parkston with burial to follow in Parkston Protestant Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday, June 18 from 5 to 7 pm with a 7:00 pm prayer service at Salem Lutheran Church in Parkston. Arrangements by Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Parkston.

Ralph was born December 18, 1948 in Gettysburg, SD to DeVere and Dorathy (Cooper) Tobin. He grew up in Gettysburg and graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1967. Later in life, he went back to school and attended Northern State University in Aberdeen and earned an associates degree in business in 1996.

He enlisted in the United States Army in October 1967 and served in Vietnam until being honorably discharged in June 1969. Upon his return to South Dakota, he married Marty Heier. They were married from 1969 to 1992. To this union, three children were born, Tammy, Heidi and Wade. During this time, he was employed by the Aberdeen fire department for 11 years and then in 1980 spent 12 years on the farm south east of Gettysburg farming with his father-in-law, Alvin Heier. He then moved to Aberdeen to start College and often joked of being a true 45-year-old freshman. Along with this move brought him his career with Runnings. He spent the next 18 years working at various locations for Runnings and retired from the Parkston store in 2014.

On June 26, 2004 he married the love of his life, Eileen Schulte. To this union, Ralph gained two more daughters, Michelle Vilhauer and Jennifer Lees. Ralph was an avid hunter and fisherman. He spent many hours fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. He, along with his wife Eileen, enjoyed attending their Grandchildren’s events. They were also blessed with many special trips through the Runnings company.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Eileen, Parkston, SD; children, Heidi (Dan) O’Bryan of Colome, SD, Wade (Jenn) Tobin of Spearfish, SD, Michelle Vilhauer and special friend Jeff Maschino of Sioux Falls, SD and Jennifer (Steve) Lees of Jamestown PA, 10 grandchildren; Kelly and Sara O’Bryan, Cora, Sam and Josie Tobin, Erica Vilhauer, Taryn and Dawson Harvey and Hunter and Brooke Lees, 2 great grandchildren Madisyn Vilhauer and Jaxson Anderson, his mother Dorarthy and 4 brothers, Ron, Randy, Rodney and Robert.

He was preceeded in death by a daughter, Tammy, who passed shortly after birth, his father, DeVere Tobin and a sister-in-law, Myra Tobin.