Ralph Andrew Jaxtheimer

Ralph Andrew Jaxtheimer passed away peacefully at his home in Bedford County, Virginia, on the evening of August 20, 2026, surrounded by three generations of his family, who loved him dearly. After many years of resilience and renewal, Ralph’s spirit and body could no longer sustain him.

Ralph is survived by his wife and fellow life-explorer of forty-six years, Elizabeth (Betsy) Banton Jaxtheimer, and by daughters Kimbrough Jaxtheimer Greene and Alexandra Jaxtheimer Walker. Holton Walker, his son-in-law, was loved as a son, as was Mike Watkins. Ralph is also survived by four grandchildren: Max Banton Greene, Samuel Goodwin Greene, Jaxtheimer Belle Walker, and Sterling Elizabeth Walker. Ralph is survived by his sister-in-law, Melissa Banton Rutledge, and his brothers-in-law Roger Quinn Rutledge and Edward Withers Banton. Also surviving are nephews Adam Withers Rutledge and his wife, Kelly; Andrew Quinn Rutledge and his wife, Christina; Brennan Edward Banton and his wife, Alissa; and Jordan Withers Banton and his wife, Carter. Ralph is also survived by a number of great-nieces and nephews.

Betsy Banton Jaxtheimer came from a close and loving family, and her family welcomed Ralph and embraced him, an only child, as one of their own. They enjoyed family gatherings and holidays together, along with summer vacations to Duck, Corolla, and Carova Beaches on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Ralph’s family brought him immense love and joy, and he greatly valued their gifts of connection. He also dearly loved the dogs-beautiful and soulful creatures-who graced his life and were his best friends and companions: Sam, Tira, Bella, Haddie, and Zoe.

Born on August 23, 1945, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Ralph was the son of Walter Burwell and Pauline Carlson Jaxtheimer. He was preceded in death by both parents and by his first wife, Kathleen Finney.

Ralph grew up in Lyndhurst, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. He was a graduate of Charles F. Brush High School, Class of 1963. It was during his teenage years that his profound and lifelong passion for music was ignited. Ralph gratefully accepted the opportunity to study cello for four years with Tom Liberti, Assistant Principal Cellist with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, under music director George Szell. Ralph’s love for the cello would continue to flourish for the remainder of his life, until he was no longer physically able to play. Even then, his unwavering interest in listening to classical music and watching classical performances on YouTube nourished him and brought him great joy, right until his last day and evening. He never tired of listening to his beloved Brahms, along with Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, along with a host of other favorite composers.

Ralph earned a bachelor’s degree in history, with a concentration in British history, at Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in the Class of 1967. He then pursued a master’s degree in theology at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. Upon graduation, he moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, to become a chaplain at Central Virginia Training Center, later working as a center director until his retirement.

Upon arriving in Lynchburg, Ralph joined the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra and enjoyed playing as principal cellist for many years. Along with friends and gifted musical colleagues Rudy Hazuka, Joe Nigro, and Jean Dewhurst, he co-founded the James String Quartet and delighted in their collaborations and concertizing. Richard Wroncy, another gifted musical colleague and frequent collaborator with the James String Quartet, remained a dear friend until the end of Ralph’s life. Ralph also enjoyed teaching cello lessons, both privately and as adjunct instructor in cello at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College.

For more than three decades, Ralph gathered every Wednesday evening with his closest friends and their families to share dinner. The members of this Supper Group, in addition to Ralph and Betsy, were Alex and Carolyn Bell, Paula Wallace and George DuBarry, Jean Stewart and Nancy Gray, and Thelma Twery.

An insatiable intellectual curiosity propelled Ralph all his life, and reading was another passion. There never were enough bookcases-or cd cases-in his home to hold his collections of books and music. He was a daily reader of The New York Times and The Washington Post; The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books were always close at hand. He was a lifelong Democrat, always passionate about issues concerning race, ethnic diversity, and social justice.

Ralph enjoyed learning about ethnicities and cultures other than his own. Over the years, traveling with his family throughout the United States, he visited many Native American pueblos and reservations, always eager to learn from our country’s First Peoples-the original inhabitants-and to attend ceremonials that were open to the public. For many years, his license plate was I-B-U-N-U-B-I, a visible reminder to respect differences and to recognize the importance of learning from each other.

On behalf of Ralph and the Jaxtheimer Family, we profoundly thank our phenomenal Hospice Team, who unwaveringly educated all of us, supported all of us, cared for all of us, and stood by us during Ralph’s last months, weeks, and days. The Team included Dr. Amy Holmes, NP Melanie Fastabend, RN Cara Brooke Peade, CNA Janet Nuckles, Chaplain Laurenda Kuffour, and Social Worker Nisha Patel. We also want to give special thanks to Hospice RN Donna Somma.

Our Jaxtheimer Family profoundly thanks Dr. Peter Betz for his exceptional diagnostic abilities and outstanding professional care of Ralph during the last years of his life.

Profound thanks also go to Dr. David Detwiler, who professionally cared for Ralph in our home and contributed significantly to Ralph’s comfort and well-being.

We are grateful for the team at HillPack Rx, especially Conway, for his kind deliveries of Ralph’s medications, as well as the team at Adapt Health, especially Chris, Sidney, and Chester, for their assistance in outfitting our home with the needed equipment.

Our Jaxtheimer Family profoundly thanks Jonathan Davies, Esq., at Davies and Davies, for his outstanding professional services, which were delivered with respect, understanding, and compassion.

Arrangements were handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.