Mr. Ralph Conrad McDaniel, 93, passed away peacefully at his home in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. Ralph was born February 16, 1930, in Atmore, Alabama and spent most of his formative years in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He was proceeded in death by his sister Vera Ella McGowen of Huntsville, Alabama and his beloved wife of fifty years and mother of his children, Kay Coker McDaniel. Ralph is survived by three sons Victor McDaniel of Jackson, Keith McDaniel (Kathryn) of Madison and Blake (Mary Lee) McDaniel of Madison, six grandchildren David McDaniel (Emily), Katie Bass (Matt), Jay McDaniel (Lily), Lauren Thigpen (Jordan), Anna Kathryn McDaniel, and Mac McDaniel, seven great grandchildren Thomas Bass (Mackenzie), Carson Bass (Brooklyn), Riley McDaniel, Grayson Bass, Charlotte Bass, Miles McDaniel, Blakely Thigpen arriving in November, and one great great grandson Lincoln Bass. Ralph graduated college as an ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate from the department of Personnel Management at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) where he met Kay, the cheerleader who stole his heart. He was honored to have served as the President of Phi Kappa Tau and is a longtime member of the USM Foundation, the Eagle Club, past President of the USM General Alumni Association, and member of the Alumni Past Presidents Council. In 1996 he was inducted into the USM Alumni Hall of Fame. Ralph was an ardent football fan and rarely missed watching the Eagles play. After graduation, Ralph received his commission in the army as a Second Lieutenant and served in Field Artillery Battery as Operation and Executive Officer in the Korean War. While in service he married Kay, and they had their first son Vic (Victor). He remained active in the Army Reserve until his retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1990. Ralph was a dedicated employee of J.W. Underwood and Company, at the time Mississippi’s largest homebuilder and developer. He retired as Senior Vice President after forty years and was involved in various capacities with the development and construction of more than three dozen residential subdivisions, apartments, shopping centers, and office parks in the Jackson Metro Area and the Mississippi Delta. He served as Interim President of eight Homeowners Associations and was a past President of the Home Builders Association of Jackson as well as a Lifetime Director of the Association of National Home Builders. As an avid tennis player, he had a long-standing Saturday morning game at River Hills with fellow players and good friends Joe Harris, Jim Stanley, Joe Perkins, and Tony Klingler. Ralph upheld The Rotary Club of Jackson’s motto “Service Before Self” and valued the friendships he developed over the many years as a member. He was a member of both the Candle Wasters and the Holiday Dance Club and took advantage of any opportunity to dance with an energy that was unmatched. He enjoyed working in the yard and gardening and had a fondness for roses and tulips. One of his greatest joys was attending as many events as possible for his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He greatly cherished them and was proud to be their “Papa.” Some of his fondest memories were of the annual family weekend at Roosevelt State Park and Autumn trips to Smoky Mountain National Park. Later years were spent in the loving companionship of Ms. Jan Evers of Jackson, MS. Visitation will be held Monday, October 30, 2023, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at Natchez Trace Funeral Home, 759 Highway 51, Madison, Mississippi. Graveside Service will follow at 12 p.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park Pavilion, 6000 Clinton Boulevard, Jackson, Mississippi. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Magnolia Speech School, 414 Bozeman Rd, Madison, MS 39110.