WALL OF HONOR
Class of 1948
Rafael “Ralph” Villar, Jr.
Rafael “Ralph” Villar, Jr., Class of 1948, was nominated for the Wall of Honor by his daughters, Virginia Bennett and Vivien Lindley. At San Diego High Rafael was Junior Class President. He was a JV wrestler, a member of Hilltop Choir, a cast member in the senior play, a cheerleader, and a member of the debate team. He is a lifetime member of the Alumni Association.
Ralph retired from the U.S. Army in 1977 with the rank of Command Sergeant Major. He is a Korean War veteran, a member of the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team; and a Vietnam War veteran in the 63rd Signal Battalion. He represented the U.S. Army Japan when president Gerald Ford visited Japan.
Ralph worked at Alisal High School in Salinas following his retirement from the military and retired in 1988. He has served as president of Council 5008 of the California School Employee Retiree Association; president of the Salinas Host Lions Club and active member of the club. He is a volunteer Salinas Reserve City Police Officer, and has been active in the Monterey County Victim and Offenders Program, the Friends Outside Ex-Offenders Program, Turning Point of Central California, and the Restorative Justice Program. Rafael served as Salinas City Commissioner and was Transportation and Safety Officer for two years.
When Ralph was in Japan, he was active in Boy Scouts, holding positions of Scout Master and Scout Commissioner. He was awarded the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s highest honor.
Ralph is active in many veterans’ organizations: Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Retired Enlisted Association, Disabled Veterans of America, and the American Legion. He has held leadership positions in all these organizations. He was named Monterey County Veteran of the Year, the California State Assembly Veteran of the Year, and Monterey County United Way Volunteer of the Year.
When Ralph was 70 years old, he ran his first marathon race and proceeded to complete four marathons and 29 other races in the following five years, including the Big Sur Marathon. He also participated in two 26-mile relay runs to raise funds for non-profit agencies.
Ralph is active in Toastmasters International. He is a volunteer motivational and career advisor speaker and has given talks at Soledad State Prison, Salinas Valley State Prison, Monterey County jail, Monterey County Juvenile Hall, many drug and alcohol programs, junior high schools, high schools and colleges. His daughters said, “Exercise is his passion. Speaking is his pleasure. He enjoys life to the fullest at the age of 87, and his priority is helping veterans and their families.”