Ralph Carl EichelbergerMarch 16, 1922 - June 13, 2016Ralph Carl Eichelberger, 94, passed away at his home in Kuna the morning of June 13 after a short illness. He was born on March 16, 1922, the third of four sons, to Frances E. and H. Carl Eichelberger. He and his brothers-Lynn, Don and Frank-played in the streets and hills of North Boise growing up. He attended Lowell School and three years at Boise High School before the family moved to the farm in Kuna. He graduated from Kuna High School in 1939. Ralph enlisted in the United States Army Air Force on Jan. 3, 1941, as the early military draft was being instituted. That three-year enlistment ended up as five years through the end of World War II. He trained as a radio operator/mechanic in St. Petersburg, Florida, graduating first in his class. Initially, he trained other operators, and then he was attached to the British Royal Air Force in Toronto to learn their procedures so he could ferry B25s to Scotland. He had the thrill of being the radio operator for a British pilot who performed aerial maneuvers, including flying under a bridge in Toronto. During his time in the military, Ralph served on 12 different air bases, ferrying planes and seeing the world: London, Paris, Casablanca, India. He was in Guam waiting for the final assault when the war ended.Ralph was honorably discharged on Nov. 1, 1945. Shortly after returning to Kuna, his mother pointed out Alice Putman, the pianist at Kuna Baptist Church. He married Alice on Aug. 16, 1946, and began farming east of Kuna. Eight children were born to this union, three girls and five boys. As their family grew, so did their dairy farm. The entire family was involved in the farming, one way or another, and Ralph taught his children the value of hard work, the gifts of a creative mind, and, to the younger children, the game of pinochle-much to their mother's chagrin.He loved music: singing in the church choir, playing "God Bless America" with gusto on the piano, playing harmonica, listening to opera on "Saturday Afternoon at the Met," and leading a patriotic song at the annual Eichelberger 4th of July picnic. Ralph supplemented his income during those lean farming years in various ways, through chopping corn and working at the sugar beet dump in Melba. He also worked for eight years at Idaho Motor Repair, along with his son David. Finally, he got to retire from farming, and he and Alice hit the road, crisscrossing the United States every year, seeing their children along the way, returning to the beaches of Florida. They also spent ten years wintering in Quartzsite, Arizona, enjoying the balmy weather. Ralph bicycled 20 miles or more a day while there, relishing the freedom from cows and kids.In these recent years, Ralph and Alice had been able to stay in their own home in Kuna because two of their sons, Leland and Steven, lived on the farm as well. His desire was to die in his home, and we are grateful that we could honor that request. Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and two of his sons, Dean in 2013 and Steven just last summer. He is survived by his wife of almost 70 years, Alice Irene Putman Eichelberger and his remaining children: Leland and Joanie Eichelberger (Kuna), Janet and Leonard Gluck (Spring Hill, TN), Clinton Eichelberger (Boise), Suzanne and Tom Britanyak (Buckley, WA), David and Laurie Eichelberger (Wenatchee, WA) daughter-in-law Dale Eichelberger (Columbia, SC), Nancy and Chris Smith (Richland, WA) and daughter-in-law Meg Eichelberger (Kuna). In addition, he is survived by 18 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren-with two more on the way!-and the extended Eichelberger family that he got to see at least every July 4th.Ralph was a long-time member of Kuna Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school in earlier years and where he loved singing in the choir. There will be a graveside service in the Kuna Cemetery on Friday, June 17, 2016 at 10:00 AM, with lunch following at Kuna Baptist Church. Services are under the direction of Accent Funeral Home. Remembrances may be left for the family at www.AccentFuneral.com. The family would like to thank St. Luke's Hospice for their compassionate guidance in Ralph's last days.