Ralph Thomas Clutter

Ralph Thomas Clutter

Fairfield

Ralph Thomas Clutter passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, following a series of ischemic strokes. He was 79.

Ralph was born on May 30, 1945, in New Eagle, Pennsylvania to Ralph Jay Clutter, department store manager, and Ruth Lillian (nee) Peters, housewife and secretary. He is survived by his brother, Ted (Clarkston, Washington), and sister, Virginia (nee) Gibson (Dayton, Ohio).

He attended St. Mary’s Catholic grade school, and graduated with honors in math and science from Greenville Senior High School in Greenville, Ohio in 1963.

Ralph enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving in a Top Secret capacity in Hawaii until his Honorable Discharge in 1965. Following his military service, he worked for various businesses in the Greenville area – from manufacturing and product delivery, to construction and sales.

He started his journey into transcendental meditation in the late-1960s under the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He moved to Fairfield, Iowa in the early 1980s to foster techniques for spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment at Maharishi International University.

Ralph enjoyed MIU’s educational programs and diversity of cultures and backgrounds. He was well known and loved among the town’s community of meditators, and he faithfully participated in the university’s many group efforts for world peace and other causes over the years.

He worked for several years as a university locksmith. Ralph was forever inquisitive, with interests during his life that included chemistry, astronomy, electronics -- but above all, mathematics. He enjoyed tinkering with radios and gadgets, so had many close friends in Fairfield’s second-hand shops.

Ralph was also a dynamic student of the world. His greatest joy was international travel with the love of his life, Inci Eravci – from the broad expanse of the United States to the capitals of Europe and many nations of Africa – to the entire subcontinent of India and Thailand. He especially loved the beautiful seaside city of Izmir, Turkey, where his ashes will find rest.

To make donations to Maharishi International University in Ralph’s memory, contact the MIU Development Office, 1000 North 4th Street, Fairfield, IA 52556 – email giving@miu.edu – Phone (641) 472-1180 (Mon-Fri 10:15-4:30 CST).