Robert William "Bob" Ratton Jr.'s Obituary
On June 11, 2020, Robert William “Bob" Ratton Jr. passed away unexpectedly. Born in Manila, Ark., to Dr. and Mrs. Robert William Ratton, Bob grew up in Memphis and attended White Station High School, where refined his life- long love of inappropriate humor and tested the limits of state truancy laws to attend horse shows with his father. A graduate of Rhodes College, he went on to receive his J.D. from The University of Tennessee School of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. An accomplished tax and commercial attorney, Bob practiced law at several Memphis and D.C. firms before finding his extended work family as General Counsel of Armstrong Relocation & Companies for two decades ago.
An adventurous spirit, Bob was an avid aviation enthusiast, scuba diver, and hiker. He was a wearer of Father’s Day gifts and unafraid to get down to Sam and Dave and James Brown, albeit only after ensuring there would be no witnesses. Bob was brilliant without pretension, empathetic but not indulgent, and generous beyond measure. He always was your best supporter, although in ways you might not have appreciated at the time.
In the day immediately preceding his death, Bob had lunch with one of his sons and grandchildren, spent time on the phone with his younger boy, and reveled in the lovingly sardonic humor characteristic of his relationship his wife whom he adored beyond the limits of language to express. He left this world knowing that he was loved, although he never could have understood the depth and breadth of the world’s affection for him.
He is survived by his wife, Kelli, of Germantown, Tenn., and sons Rob (Katie) of Memphis and David (Jillian) of Nashville, Tenn. He also leaves behind four grandchildren: Sara Kate, Anna, and Gabe of Memphis and Ruby Grace of Nashville. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jo Feltus.
His memorial will be held at 2 :00 pm on Tuesday, June 16 at Hope Church Main Sanctuary located at 8500 Walnut Grove Rd, Cordova, TN 38018. All in attendance must wear a mask or other face covering and practice social distancing.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Hope Church, the Rotary Club of Memphis East Foundation, St. Jude or a charity of the donor’s choice.
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