Ralph Jacob
There is a chameleon living here at the New England Club, a 94-year-old changeling who spends every day in a variety of disguises.
Most know him as Ralph Jacob, the bow-legged, silver-haired gentleman with twinkling eyes and cheery personality. Do not be fooled, for there is so much more to this man.
Mr. Piano Man
When the mood moves him, he takes a seat at the grand piano in the Lobby. Instantly, Ralph Jacob is Mr. Piano man, a miniature Victor Borge of charisma and comedy, a musician who never had a lesson yet plays with the finesse of the professionally-taught. He can dance the hoochie-coochie or the hula with a simple wiggle of his rear.
At other times, he is a baggy-pants pixie Romeo and K-Mart Greeter. “Howdy-dee-do-dee-do,” he hails the ladies as they parade past his seat at meal times. Of course, they respond only to have him wink and proclaim, “I said it first.” If he forgets a name, he will fake a greeting with, “Is that you in person?”
If someone asks his name he quickly responds, “Charley Greene,” and adds, “I sell pencils down at Fifth and Vine. They don’t have no lead or erasers though, so I break ‘em in half and sell ‘em for half price.”
Hell on Wheels
Addicted to coffee, Ralph feels a need to bring cup after cup of piping-hot java to friends and tablemates. Devoted to a rigorous exercise program, he puts Jack LaLayne to shame. In addition, he is hell-on-wheels with his walker, often seen racing pretty young ladies up and down the hallways of the Second Floor. Not bad for a chap his age – even though He will wink and admits he cheats.
No matter the comment, Ralph has a witty reply, but his life has not always been a bowl of cherries. Born in Cincinnati’s upper-Vine area, he was the son of a stonemason and married Alma, his childhood sweetheart and lived through the years of the Great Depression.
A tough upbringing
“My Dad didn’t make a lot of money in those days,” he recalls, “so I had to do odd jobs. Whatever I made went right to my mother for family expenses. We had just enough to survive. We could walk to the Zoo, so once a year we were given a dollar for admission. That was a real treat.”
“I went to Saint George Catholic School and the nuns were tough,” Ralph says. “They taught me discipline. Things were so tough then that my family didn’t have the money to send me to high school.”
The Depression was followed by World War II and jobs began to open up. By this time, Ralph and Alma moved to Oakley where he acquired a job with Cincinnati Machine Tool Company making parts for military vehicles such as tanks and cannons.
Meanwhile, Ralph and Alma had three children, son Ralph Jr., daughter Darlene and son Gary. Despite his lack of formal education, Ralph, saw a future in the heating and air conditioning business. He steered his sons to begin their own HVAC business and today it is one of the most successful in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Despite the hardships of his life, Ralph has never asked for much. From his early years up to today, he has been a giver, a man of sacrifice for others. Yes, that is the New England Club’s Ralph Jacob “in person.”