Birth date: Feb 13, 1941 Death date: Jun 13, 2026
Ralph Edwin Oberly, age 85, of Chesapeake, OH, passed away on June 13, 2026. Born on February 13, 1941, in Columbus, Ohio, Ralph was a son of the late Paul A. and Anna Evelyn (Morgan) Oberly. Ralph leaves behind his wife, Maryanne Read Obituary
Ralph was a wonderful and brilliant man, a great teacher, and a kind and caring colleague. He was empathetic, self-deprecating, and hilarious. He had great rapport with students and was always positive and helpful.
His passing is such a loss to the Marshall community and he will be greatly missed.
My condolences to his family.
I will always remember Dr. Oberly for his engaging and genuinely fun physics lectures. Beyond the classroom, I spent countless office hours talking with him about physics and many other topics. Those conversations were always enriched by his sense of humor and ability to find something to laugh about.
He also had a gift for teaching lessons that stayed with students long after class ended. When discussing safety, he often shared memorable real-life stories about accidents and mistakes. While sometimes startling, those stories vividly illustrated the consequences of carelessness and reinforced the importance of approaching science with respect, caution, and responsibility. They reflected how deeply he cared about his students' well-being and success.
One memory that especially stands out is when he came to class with a black eye. Before anyone could speculate, he jokingly assured us that he had not been in a fight—he had simply fallen. That moment captured something I appreciated about him: his willingness to laugh at himself and put others at ease.
He made learning physics enjoyable, and his kindness, humor, enthusiasm, and dedication to his students will be remembered by many.
This was one of my best and favorite professors in college. The things he taught me I still remember. He was the very best Physics teacher at Marshall. I had him for class in the late 80’s. He was so kind and gentle, but so excited about his field. My condolences to the family.
Susan Wilburn Eastham
Always remember him and Maryann taking their walks , no matter how cold or hot , up and down the country roads of Getaway.Whenever we talked, he would keep me updated on Graham and Morgan.He was a good person and will be missed in our neighborhood!
