Ralph F. Weir, 93, of 21 E. Main St., St. Johnsville passed away on Monday July 31, 2006 at his home. Ralph was born on December 4, 1912 in the same apartment in which he has always resided; son of the late Harry R. and Bertha Fox Weir. He completed elementary and high school in 11 years, being promoted from 8th to 9th grade at mid-year. He graduated from St. Johnsville High School, as president of the Class of 1930, and shortly thereafter entered the employ of The Evening Times in Little Falls. He learned journalism under the critical and demanding eye of the late John Crowley. He was employed by The Evening Times for over 62 years, much of the latter half of that time as editor. In recognition of the high quality of the newspaper he was several times invited as guest speaker at Herkimer County Community College classes. He was speaker at 50 successive annual banquets of the journalism classes at Owen D. Young Central School in VanHornesville. He retired the day before his 81st birthday. He was a member of St. Johnsville Lodge No. 611, Free and Accepted Masons for over 65 years, the Scottish Rite Bodies in Utica, and for nearly as long a member of Ziyara Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in Utica. He formerly was a member of the Little Falls Chapter of the AARP, and was a member and served for eight years as president of the Senior Citizens Saints. He also was a former member of the Montgomery County Office for the Aging Advisory Council. While employed in Little Falls he was a member of the Civic Club and the former Kiwanis Club. For many years he was a public speaker and toastmaster at numerous functions throughout the area, and had estimated that he had participated in well over 500 such activities. At one time he was a member of the St. Johnsville Board of Trustees. In 1981 he was named honorary chief of the St. Johnsville Volunteer Fire Department. He also was honored by the former Starr ? Colorito Post of the VFW as a ?Citizen of the Year.? Some years ago he headed the St. Johnsville High School Alumni Association, and in 1997 a scholarship at the school was named in his honor. He enjoyed travel, and had made many visits to Mexico, Bermuda, and the islands of the Caribbean. He never married, and leaves no relatives, but many good friends, including Daniel and Bethany Straney of St. Johnsville and Jonathon Rouse of Fort Plain, who had been his caretakers in later years; Drs. Ranbir and Santosh Sodhi of St. Johnsville; Dale and Lana Wagner of Verona; Gloria Lawrence, JeanAnn Kolar and Donald Paparella of Little Falls. He also leaves his precious cat, Babe. Funeral services will be held on Friday August 4, 2006 at 10:00 am from the Enea Family Funeral Home, 9 Center St., St. Johnsville, NY. Burial will follow at West St. Johnsville Cemetery. Friends and relatives may call at the funeral home on Thursday August 3, 2006 from 5-7 pm. All memorial contributions may be made to St. Johnsville Lodge # 611, F&AM or Ayers Memorial Animal Shelter, Inc. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. For directions to the funeral home, click the facilities link above.