Ralph Schumacher’s life brings him full circle, and Stockbridge is better off for it
November 19 is recognized as International Men’s Day to “celebrate, worldwide, the positive value men bring to the world, their families, and communities.” In our November issue, Stockbridge Community News is featuring Men of the Hour—three men from our own little corner of the world who make a notable difference in our community.
by Chuck Wisman
It’s not often one comes full circle, leaving a community with deep, historical roots and returning years later to make it a much better place through his community work, personal dedication, and volunteering. Ralph Schumacher is one of those rare finds.
Before graduating from Stockbridge High School in 1966, Ralph grew up on the family farm. Next year marks 150 years that this farm has been in the Schumacher family. Ralph subsequently left the farm to attend Michigan State University, majoring in mathematics. Shortly after graduating in 1970, he began working for the General Electric Corporation in Erie, Pennsylvania, ultimately as the manager of locomotive engineering in GE transportation.
At MSU, Ralph met the love of his life, Donna Righetti, whom he married in 1971. The couple are the proud parents of two very successful daughters, Kate and Jean.
In 1999, Ralph left General Electric and returned to the family farm in Stockbridge where he focused on caring for Donna who had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Sadly, she passed away in 2016.
Ralph represents the fifth generation of Schumachers to live on the family farm. One of his grandmothers was a Realy, who resided a hop and a skip away on the Realy farm, which is now the Waterloo Farm Museum. Not surprising, then, that Ralph served a stint on the Waterloo Farm Museum board of directors and now regularly volunteers at the farm for most all of its events. You’ll usually see him selling memberships and passes during those events and putting up or taking down tents for the various events scheduled through the year.
Later, in 2018, Ralph joined the board of the Stockbridge Area Educational Foundation (SAEF), where he currently serves as the vice-president and chair of the finance committee. Ralph remains very proud of his work with SAEF, where the quarterly meetings are usually brief, effective and to the point in supporting and assisting the local public schools via scholarships and grants supporting individual teachers and schools.
In 2016, he established the Donna E. Schumacher Memorial Scholarship in memory of his wife. The generous $5,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a Stockbridge High School graduate attending Michigan State University with a major in one of the following:
- Special education, elementary education, or mathematics education
- Mathematics, independent of a teacher-training program
- Natural sciences, independent of a teacher-training program.
Since initiating the Schumacher scholarship, Ralph has managed to leverage the scholarship into a robust $80,000 fund via grants and various donations. For Ralph, issuing the scholarship is not viewed as a one-time event but rather, an opportunity to support and mentor the recipients throughout their time in college. He makes a pledge to attend their college graduations and meet their families. He intermittently meets them for a dinner out while they attend college. He’s even been known to take them shopping after purchasing their dinners.
Ralph is a member of the local Stockbridge Lions Club where he has volunteered on various projects for the past seven or eight years.
He also manages to find time to serve on the Waterloo Township Zoning Appeals Board and the Planning Commission, where he helped leverage $10,000 in COVID relief funds for the Stockbridge Area Educational Foundation.
Looking back on his accomplishments, Ralph remains most proud of the incredible success of his two daughters, Kate and Jean, in their own lives and careers.
From an early age, Ralph was watching and learning from mentors and role models. He recalls a number of Stockbridge High School teachers, including Mr. Radowski, Mr. Woodman, Mr. Nash, Mrs. O’Brien and Mr. Sargent, who not only expanded his horizons, but inspired him throughout his life and career.
In his personal time (what there is of it), Ralph loves to garden and cut wood in the winter. He follows the very sage advice of his doctor to “Resist the Chair.”
Ralph has his own wise advice for the next generation: Set a higher goal than you think you can achieve, and always go for it. One must simply have the courage to make the world a better place.
Truth be told, that’s exactly what Ralph Schumacher has done. He’s traveled full circle, from leaving the family farm fifty-seven years ago, to returning to that farm — and the Stockbridge community — where he continues to make it a much better place for others.