Lasting Memories
Frank Ratliff
Jan. 24, 1926-March 29, 2011
Palo Alto, California
Submitted by Laurel Leone
Frank Ratliff, 85, who taught English to generations of Palo Alto high school students, died on March 29, 2011, after a short illness. A long-time local resident, he moved to Palo Alto in 1962. After two years at Truckee High School, Mr. Ratliff taught at Cubberley High School from 1957-1962, then served as an advanced programs consultant to the Palo Alto Unified School District 1962-64, and was instrumental in designing the progressive humanities curriculum for the English and Social Studies programs at Gunn High School. He taught at Gunn from the school's opening in 1964 until his retirement in 1988, serving in his last two years at Gunn as a mentor to other teachers as well.
During his nearly 30 years of teaching, he received numerous awards, grants, fellowships and other recognition. He was an active contributor to numerous professional associations, holding various leadership positions in local, state and national teachers? organizations. His areas of special interest were composition; American and British literature; Greek mythology, drama, and literature; and film studies. Mr. Ratliff was much-beloved by his students, not the least for his dry wit. He would sign yearbooks with a rubber stamp. The message changed several times over the years, but the one most remembered by former students read "To my Favorite Student, Sincerely, Frank Ratliff." He spent many of his summers enriching his professional knowledge and experience, including two summers as principal at the AIFS Royal Academy of Music in London.
Mr. Ratliff had a life-long interest in theater and film, and was an enthusiastic supporter of dramatic productions at Gunn. He also wrote screenplays. He was a member of the American Film Institute, past president of the California Arts Society, and a long-time subscriber to the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the San Francisco Early Music Society.
After retirement, he became an accomplished watercolorist and continued his regular travels to London to visit with friends and attend theater. In 2007, Mr. Ratliff moved to Channing House, where his classes on Shakespeare and other favorite topics were very popular. He also played in costumed melodramas.
Frank Ratliff was born in Natchez, Miss., on Jan. 24, 1926. After graduating from Natchez High School in 1943, he served in the U.S. Army from 1944-1946 and again from 1949-1952. Between deployments, he attended Mississippi State, then Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), where he earned his B.A. in journalism. He said that it was his war experience that made him want to become a journalist. He received an M.A. in History from U.C. Berkeley in 1956.
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May 7, 2011
I just learned of the memorial service, and am so grateful to read all these remembrances. They confirm my experience, having "Mr. Ratliff" for English the year that Gunn opened. He has always been my most enduring influence from those years: I felt his respect, his thoughtfulness, the depth of his caring. He was a giant among teachers, in his own quiet way. I wish I'd known I could have seen him more recently in Palo Alto, all these years! Thank you, Frank Ratliff.
May 6, 2011
Frank and I were friends from boyhood days in Natchez, MS thru high school and, after WWII, at Mississippi State. Resuming conact by e-mail for the last several ears after retirement from distant careers, we shared our lives together with our life-long friends Howard Nunez and Marion Stewart. Typical of Frank's continued zest for life despite his ongoing bout with cancer, he wrote us this delightful excerpt from his life at Channing House: "I'm looking to start another seminar here to read and talk about 'Hamlet.' But the difference will be looking in the play for some autobiographical reference to the 17th Earl of Oxford, who is currently the leading contender to be the true author of all of Shakespeare's works. It'll be interesting because part of that premise depends upon believing he was the son of Queen Elizabeth. Not a virgin?! Wow! You mean Washington didn't really chop down that cherry tree? What's a boy/historian to believe. But I think it'll be a lot of fun for the four times we meet. Guess I can't give up the delight of teaching -- without grading and reading all those papers." Like his myriad friends and former students, I'll fondly remember his impact on my life and will miss his presence.
May 5, 2011
Frank was one of my students in my Thursday morning Watercolor Class at the Pacific Art League of Palo Alto for at least 10 years. He always held the cornerstone chair in the room and was fundamental in completing the social circuit and life force in the class. He was always one of the first to arrive in the room and it was always a joy to see him sitting there painting away in his "Turner-esque" style when I walked in. He was a wonderful man with a kind heart, keen intellect, and a great sense of humor. I miss his warm presence and friendship, as do all the members of my Watercolor class who knew him. He was truly a fine man, and it is a blessing to have known him.
May 2, 2011
My husband, Lt. Col. Barney K. Neal, Jr. was a Sigma Chi fraternity brother of Frank's.Barney and his son, Randy Neal (2nd grader at the time)visited Frank on their way to Ft. Lewis, Seattle. Randy loved Frank's tropical backyard. Barney was killed in '70 in V-nam. I've kept in touch since then. He will be missed.
May 2, 2011
Very sorry to learn that my good friend has taken his last trip - to Heaven,this time. Frank and I go back a very long way. He was 362 days than I. We started together back in our elementary school days in Natchez, Mississippi. We stayed together in school until we both graduated from Natchez High School in the Class of 1943. We shared many, many experiences during these times. We double dated together. (Never really had a falling out over the same girl!) We shared an observation post in the Nachez fire house tower trying to spot enemy planes after America entered WWII. Never spotted any of those, either! Many other fond memories. Both of us entered the Army at the same time, but I was fortunate not to go back in 1949. I had pretty much lost touch with Frank until recently, but we have been in touch via e-mail for the last several years together with our good friend and classmate Robert "Buddy" Clark. Sorry we never had the opportunity to visit together during these years. Frank kept us appraised of his struggles with cancer and his determination to not let that get him down. And he gave it a good fight. Too bad he had to lose. But... "His virtues are written on the tablets of Love and Memory."
May 2, 2011
Frank was a true gentelman. Wise, generous, gentle, humble and caring. He will forever be in our hearts an inspiration as how to live as a good and decent person. He was a mentor, a friend and a pal. He will always be respected, loved and deeply, deeply missed.
May 2, 2011
Frank was such a wonderful soul. I was so sad to hear about his passing. He was a wonderful man, who great wisdom about living life. Each Christmas, I always loved receiving his beautiful watercolors. He will be truly missed by many of who were fortunate enough to have him touch our lives. We will always have wonderful memories of him.
April 28, 2011
I had Frank for my first English class at Gunn in 1971 and his passion for communicating well has helped me for decades in my medical career. I spoke with him just a year ago to ask his help in counseling a patient of mine. He sounded as kind and articulate as the day I met him. Clearly, his teaching was a lifelong talent
April 27, 2011
I was so sad to hear this news. Mr. Ratliff was also one of my most influential teachers. By the time I took his class (AP English) I was a junior in high school and had mostly succeeded in bluffing my way to A's in English (except with Miss Ballou, of course!) with flowery but content-free writing. I'll never forget when the first in-class essay that I wrote for Mr. Ratliff was handed back to me with a "C" and one comment scrawled across the top: "Lisa: you write beautifully and say nothing." Wow, someone finally noticed, I thought. He taught me to write AND say something. For any of Mr. Ratliff's survivors, please know that he really made a difference in this woman's life.
April 27, 2011
Mr Ratliff had a stamp he used to sign my yearbook.... "To my favorite student"...
April 26, 2011
Mr. Ratliff was my favorite teacher at Gunn. We read Shakepeare's plays aloud in our English class, and we didn't have it ruined by a whole lot of explanation and quizzes. I was fortunate that he picked me for advanced placement classes at Cubberly, and I followed him to Gunn High School, 1964-66. I met him once again in 2002,and I saw how wise and thoughtful he really was.
April 25, 2011
Frank Ratliff was by far the most influential teacher that I had in my three years at Cubberley High School (1957-1960). He was witty, cool, charming and occasionally sharp-tongued, but always incisive with his comments and never mean-spirited. Most importantly, he always made me feel respected and more of a colleague on the path of learning than a subordinate who didn't know anything. As well as teaching English at Cubberley, Frank was a counselor there for one or two years and, in that capacity, he helped me make important decisions about college. I ended up as a community college teacher of ESL (English as a Second Language), and I know that much of what I do in the classroom is influenced by what I learned from Frank Ratliff's teaching. I am very sorry to learn that he has passed away, but I will always honor his memory.
April 23, 2011
I was in Frank Ratliff's English class at Gunn High School starting in 1964, the year Gunn opened and he began teaching the rich humanities program he helped develop for the school system. He was one of the kindest people I've ever known, and perhaps the best teacher. He touched so many of us during those sometimes traumatic years, and I remember him not only with respect and admiration, but with love. Frank and I became friends later in life via an ongoing email correspondence from my home in New York and then Michigan - FRANKRAT@GMAIL>COM, I'll never forget it. But the email failed one day and I lost touch, to my regret. I didn't know that some of my closest friends in the Bay Area stayed in touch with him to the end. I am deeply saddened by his passing, but I also know that he lived a good life and left a living legacy in all of us, his students. Maryellen
April 22, 2011
We met Frank in 1987 and he has been a wonderful friend to us both through the years. We loved his humor and smarts. Frank was an enormously compassionate man and shared so much with so many over the years. We will miss him!
April 22, 2011
Here it is almost a half a century after I was at Gunn with Mr. Ratliff and it is amazing what a strong effect he had on us - his students. We'll miss you very much, Mr. Ratliff. Thank you for what you contributed to our lives.
April 19, 2011
Frank was always the frist one to arrive in our watercolor class. During class he would quietly listen to those of us who sat near him, occasionally offering a suggestion or observation. I was from Stillwater,Oklahoma and appreciated his memories of college at Oklahoma A and M. Every Christmas he would give many of us a tube of wonderful paint in some exotic color to inspire us through the year. He was a jewel and is was an honor to be a friend. I will always remember Frank.
April 18, 2011
Frank will always have a special place in my heart. For about ten years, Frank sat next to me in my Thursday morning watercolor classes at the Pacific Art League. We shared many conversations, quiet "painting" moments, laughs, smiles, raised eyebrows, sometimes tears, and as a mother of 3 boys I treasured his words of wisdom from a teacher's perspective. A true gentleman, thoughtful, respectful and kind. My kids had the fortune to have Frank and "Toffee" over for tea at my house one day, how he loved that dog. My boys have books their bookcase that he passed on..... Aesop's Fables being my favorite... I'll miss my Valentine Cards, faithfully sent them every year :-) Frank the world is a better place for knowing you. xxx
April 16, 2011
