- Born on: June 20, 1926
- Departed on: April 1, 2020
- Resided in: Davenport, IA
Vivian Roberta Ratcliff
Vivian Roberta Ratcliff, 93, passed away on April 1, 2020 at ManorCare-Utica Ridge in Davenport. She was born June 20, 1926 to Vivian C. and Gertrude V. (Jenkins) Hardy in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Vivian graduated from St. James Collegiate in Winnipeg before enlisting in the Canadian Women’s Royal Navy (Wrens) during WWII at the age of 18. In 1945, she married Harold Allen and had three sons: Hal, David and Bob, all born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was the secretary for a Canadian Navy Chaplain in Halifax for several years and had other clerical positions before moving with her sons to the U.S.
Vivian married CPT Ray M. Ratcliff, USAF at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Kansas City MO in 1961. The family relocated to Germany where they lived in Fulda and Ramstein Air Force Base. While in Fulda, Vivian was president of the Officers’ Wives Club. They then moved to Albuquerque NM, MAJ Ratcliff’s last assignment before retirement. The couple spent most of his retirement years in Cairo GA, where Vivian was Executive Director of the United Way of Grady County. Vivian was an accomplished musician and played the organ at churches in Florida, Georgia and New Mexico. Her most recent organist position was at All Saints Episcopal Church in Milan NM. She moved to Davenport in 2012 and lived at Silvercrest-Garner Farms.
Vivian is survived by three sons: Hal (Dottie) Ratcliff, Edgewood NM and David Ratcliff and Bob Ratcliff (Terry), both of Davenport, as well as a stepson, Wayne (Pat) Allen, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada. She had 10 grandchildren: Michael Montoya, San Ramon CA; David (Xuan) Ratcliff, Morrison CO; Michelle (Reynold) Bunzel and Renee (Lael) Kohr, both of Rio Rancho NM; Katherine (Marty) Rainville, Wadsworth OH; Matthew (Michael) Ratcliff, Arlington VA; Steven (Sarah) Ratcliff, Rock Island; Sharon (Cody) Wilson, Durham NC; Evan Ratcliff, Baton Rouge LA and Erin Ratcliff, Raleigh NC. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, as well as two sisters: June Lucero of Brockville, Ontario, Canada and Patricia Allen, Milan NM.
Vivian was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and her brother, William (Bill) Hardy.
Services will be held at a later time in New Mexico where her ashes will be inurned at Sante Fe National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the United Way of the Quad-Cities Area.
Vivian married CPT Ray M. Ratcliff, USAF at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Kansas City MO in 1961. The family relocated to Germany where they lived in Fulda and Ramstein Air Force Base. While in Fulda, Vivian was president of the Officers’ Wives Club. They then moved to Albuquerque NM, MAJ Ratcliff’s last assignment before retirement. The couple spent most of his retirement years in Cairo GA, where Vivian was Executive Director of the United Way of Grady County. Vivian was an accomplished musician and played the organ at churches in Florida, Georgia and New Mexico. Her most recent organist position was at All Saints Episcopal Church in Milan NM. She moved to Davenport in 2012 and lived at Silvercrest-Garner Farms.
Vivian is survived by three sons: Hal (Dottie) Ratcliff, Edgewood NM and David Ratcliff and Bob Ratcliff (Terry), both of Davenport, as well as a stepson, Wayne (Pat) Allen, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada. She had 10 grandchildren: Michael Montoya, San Ramon CA; David (Xuan) Ratcliff, Morrison CO; Michelle (Reynold) Bunzel and Renee (Lael) Kohr, both of Rio Rancho NM; Katherine (Marty) Rainville, Wadsworth OH; Matthew (Michael) Ratcliff, Arlington VA; Steven (Sarah) Ratcliff, Rock Island; Sharon (Cody) Wilson, Durham NC; Evan Ratcliff, Baton Rouge LA and Erin Ratcliff, Raleigh NC. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, as well as two sisters: June Lucero of Brockville, Ontario, Canada and Patricia Allen, Milan NM.
Vivian was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and her brother, William (Bill) Hardy.
Services will be held at a later time in New Mexico where her ashes will be inurned at Sante Fe National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the United Way of the Quad-Cities Area.
