Ralph Paxton

Ralph Paxton passed away on January 16, 2018, at his home, after bravely battling pancreatic cancer. He was 67 years old

Fu­neral ser­vices will be held in June 2018 at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, North Carolina. In lieu of flow­ers, dona­tions may be made to the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, using this website, www.pay.gov/public/form/start/50809435, or calling the Voluntary Service Office in Montgomery, (334) 272-4670 Ext. 4748.

Dr. Paxton was born on August 10, 1950, to the late Herbert and Venice Paxton in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a 1968 graduate of Courter Technical High School in Cincinnati. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1972. He enlisted in the Army from 1972 to 1974 and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and commended as an expert rifle marksman. After his military service, Dr. Paxton earned his Ph.D. in physiology and biochemistry in 1980 from the University of Cincinnati. He completed post-doctoral research at the Indiana University School of Medicine from 1981 to 1984. He held positions of associate professor at Texas Tech University in 1989 and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University from 1989 to 2005. Dr. Paxton served as a Scientific Review Administrator at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and he completed his career at the Office of Research and Development with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. Dr. Paxton was diagnosed with lung and prostate cancer in 2007. As a cancer survivor, he was dedicated to the field of cancer research throughout his career, and he served on the Lung Cancer Research Program panel, a committee of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, for the past four years.

After retiring in 2015, Dr. Paxton moved to Boone, North Carolina, and recently moved to Dothan, Alabama, to be closer to his family. He had a variety of interests and hobbies, including collecting fountain pens, electronic gadgets, and dress shirts. He was an avid motorcycle rider for many years and loved riding through the Blue Ridge Mountains. During his retirement, he enjoyed photographing the beautiful views at his mountain home and the variety of woodland creatures that inhabited his backyard. He was an expert blackjack player, a gifted conversationalist, and a loyal friend; he will be missed by many.

Sur­vivors in­clude his daugh­ter, Hannah Paxton Bradley (Chase) and grand­daugh­ter, Vivienne Ruth Bradley.