Ralph Scott Burcham
1927-2023
Ralph Scott Burcham, 95, was born on June 29, 1927, in Mangum, Oklahoma. His parents were R. Scott and Verna Wetsel Burcham. He was raised on a farm with his brothers, Kay and Carroll and sister Ruth. He graduated from Reed High School in 1945. He graduated from Southwestern State College at Weatherford in 1948 and taught in Tulsa, OK.
He married Gladys Katherine Hamburger on May 27, 1950, and they celebrated 69 years of marriage until she passed in 2019. After their marriage, he served in the military at Ft. Hood, TX where their son, Roger, was born. After the military, he received his master’s degree from Tulsa University. They moved to California to complete his doctorate studies at UCLA where their daughter, Kathy, was born. They returned to Oklahoma City, and he taught at Oklahoma Christian University until his retirement in 1992.
In addition to teaching, he directed Camp Rock Creek for 6 summers. He provided a home for 3 foster boys and various students while they attended Oklahoma Christian. He was a charter member of Memorial Road Church of Christ in 1963 and worshipped there throughout his lifetime. In 1966, he took his family to Vietnam to do mission work. They returned early in 1968 due to the escalation of the war. He later served on the Oklahoma Governor’s task force to help Vietnamese refugees resettle to the US. He documented his experience in Vietnam in a book titled “Vietnam – Triumphs and Tragedies”. He also went on mission campaigns in Europe, Brazil, and Hong Kong.
He is survived by his son, Roger of Edmond, OK; his daughter, Kathy of San Francisco, CA; his brother, Carroll (Nancy) of Lubbock, TX; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Public visitation will be held at Matthews Funeral Home on Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be Wednesday the 14th at 2:00 p.m. at the Memorial Road Church of Christ with interment to follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.