Charles Mason Ralph, 60, of Owensboro and Sacramento, Calif., died Wednesday, June 3, 2009, after a 10-year prostate cancer illness. He is survived by his father, Charles Ditzler Ralph, sister, Louise “Weesie” Douglass, her husband Prentiss of Lexington, and his nephew Prentiss Douglass, San Francisco, Calif. His mother, Mary Gray Ralph, died in 2005.

Mason attended Kentucky Military Institute and graduated from Owensboro Senior High School. After obtaining a degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University, he worked as a reporter and photographer for the Henderson Gleaner & Journal and The Franklin Favorite. In the late ’70s he moved to California as a reporter for the Glendale Press and Daily News of Los Angeles. Later, he changed careers and become a stock broker at Dean Witter Reynolds in Century City. In 1985, Mason relocated to Sacramento to join the Republican Caucus of the California State Assembly as a policy writer. His many hobbies included politics, reading, travel, music, photography and tennis.

The family is indebted to close friends, caregivers the past few months and Hospice helpers, Gwen, JoAnna and Debbie. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Western Kentucky or to the charity of your choice.

The funeral was at Glenn Funeral Home on June 8, with burial at Elmwood Cemetery. Pallbearers are Jeff Murphey, Corky Jones, Mike Turner, John Wingfield, Jim Dudderar, Terry Tyler, Jim Madole, Bill Barron, Tom Pritchard, Tom Payne, and Roger Worth. The honorary pallbearers include Mason’s close friends in California, George Wedding, Steve Bare, Steve Snedeker and Damon Schwartz.