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- Ralph Or Korky Or Korky Korbacher, 53
Ralph 'Korky' Korbacher retired Oceanside officer
San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA) - Tuesday, March 19, 2002
Affable and approachable, Ralph "Korky" Korbacher seemed a perfect fit for his role as the Oceanside Police Department's point man in community outreach programs.
A founding board member in 1995 of Partners for Healthy Neighborhoods, he worked with residents of some of the city's high-crime areas to reduce violence and address concerns about public safety.
"Ralph's contributions to the Partners collaborative and the Oceanside community went above and beyond the call of duty," said Connie Johnson, a Partners for Healthy Neighborhoods activist. "Whenever there was a major public safety issue in one of our neighborhoods, he was there."
Mr. Korbacher, who retired as a police lieutenant last July, was found dead in his Oceanside home March 11 by one of his daughters. He was 53.
The cause of death was coronary artery disease, said daughter Karen Korbacher.
An avid runner and outdoorsman with a passion for water sports, Mr. Korbacher appeared to be in robust health, said Rudy Martinez, a close friend and a former police colleague.
"We had just had dinner Saturday night and solidified plans to buy a bar-restaurant in Lake Havasu," Martinez said. "It was something we had talked about for the past two or three years."
A 30-year veteran of the Oceanside Police Department, Mr. Korbacher had served in patrol, homicide and narcotics and as a detective and motorcycle officer. During the last 12 years of his career, as a lieutenant, he helped coordinate substations throughout the city while concentrating on social services.
"He was such an approachable person, almost no one was afraid to talk to him," Martinez said. "That was a critical skill in the kind of neighborhood work he did."
Mr. Korbacher helped create the Oceanside Police Department's NETwork neighborhood team and various neighborhood resource centers.
After retirement, he continued to be active in Partners for Healthy Neighborhoods, a collaborative of nonprofit agencies that addresses issues in the Mesa Margarita, Eastside and Crown Heights communities of Oceanside.
"When someone asked, 'Where's a cop when you need one?' Ralph was there for us," Johnson said. "He volunteered at many community events on his own time and became a dear and respected friend to many of us."
Mr. Korbacher, who maintained homes in Lake Havasu and Oceanside, was born in Bayless, Ill. He lived in Phoenix and worked in his father's bar and restaurant business before being drafted into the Army.
As an infantryman during the Vietnam War, he was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, the latter for a shrapnel wound in a leg.
He left the Army as a sergeant after two years and began his law enforcement career in Oceanside.
For at least 20 years, Mr. Korbacher represented the Oceanside Police Department in the annual, 120-mile Baker to Las Vegas relay for law enforcement agencies.
Each participant runs up to seven miles in the annual event, which can range from oppressive heat to chilling cold, up daunting hills and across barren deserts.
"Korky would run 10 miles a day in training," Martinez said. "It was a stress reliever for him. It helped him concentrate and relax."
About a year ago, Mr. Korbacher bought a 25-foot-plus motorboat for boating on Lake Mead. He also had taken up biking at Lake Havasu and enjoyed pistol shooting.
"One of his priorities after retirement was spending more time with his four daughters," Martinez said. "He had spent so much time away from them during his law-enforcement career that he was looking to make up for it."
Besides his daughter Karen, Mr. Korbacher is survived by daughters Renee Korbacher of Vista, Kristen Korbacher of Encinitas and Andria Korbacher of Oceanside; a sister, Shari Har of Yuma; brothers, Andy of Oceanside and Karl of Indianapolis; and his companion, Kathie Ivey of Lake Havasu, Ariz.
Donations are suggested to Alpha Avengers Association, in care of Bob Morris, 3038 Lone Oak Road, Hueytown, AL 35023.
A viewing was held Friday at Eternal Hills Mortuary Chapel, followed by a reception at the Elks Lodge in Oceanside.
San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA) - Tuesday, March 19, 2002
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1948 - 2002 (53 years)