In Memoriam: John Ramberg

Former professor and department head for systems and industrial engineering John Ramberg died Feb. 3, 2018 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

John was born in Stillwater, Minnesota. He married Joyce in 1961 and began their 56 years together in Cincinnati.

He received a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota in 1961 and marched as part of the band in the Rose Bowl halftime show.

Joyce died Nov. 27, 2017, from cancer.

She grew up on a farm just east of Grove City and then went on to graduate from the Swedish School of Nursing in Minneapolis.

Driven by John’s pursuit of higher education, they relocated to Ithaca, NY where John attended Cornell University and earned his master’s degree.

The family moved to Coralville so that John could take his first teaching position at the University of Iowa in 1967. In 1969, John completed his doctorate.

In 1978, the family moved to Tucson where John taught and conducted research at the University of Arizona. He served as head of SIE from 1981 to 1988.

He was a fellow of the American Statistical Association, American Society for Quality and the Institute of Industrial Engineers.

Joyce re-entered the nursing field at Tucson Medical Center as a Scrub Nurse in the operating room.

In 2002, the couple moved to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Their last days were spent in Tucson, the town their three children still call home.

They are survived by Michael (Yvette), Jill (Ed) Bilsky, Beth (Greg) Meisel, and grandchildren, Stephen, Nicole, Katie, Jacob, Joshua, Jessica, Charlie, and Leo, and pets, Keesha and Quincy.

Their ashes will be laid to rest in the Grand Canyon where they enjoyed many adventures together.