Ralph Dallas Droz Jr., 85, of Kouts Indiana, passed away on 4/28/2026 surrounded by family. He was born on July 8th, 1940, in Rochester, Pennsylvania.
He is survived by his wife Susan (Moller) Droz, his children Rebecca (Donald) Rowles, Sonja (Ronald) Winkler, Steven (Michelle) Droz, Kevin (Lena) Droz and Keith (Rebecca) Droz, his grandchildren Lacey Messinger, Jessica (Jake Serek) Winkler, Jakob Droz, Dallas Droz and Atlas Droz. Great granddaughter Maizy Serek Winkler. He is also survived by his brother James (Susan) Droz and sister Charlotte Zuck.
He was preceded in death by his parents Ralph Dallas Droz Sr. and Amelda (Truver) Droz.
For 55 years, Ralph worked as a heavy equipment operator. He began his career in Illinois after graduating from Freedom High School, and his work eventually took him to California. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work and dedication to a job well done.
Retirement brought him back to the Midwest and Kouts, Indiana, where he fulfilled a lifelong dream: having a space to pursue his passion of restoring cars. He had loved cars since he was young. While living in the Chicagoland area, he raced cars at Santa Fe Speedway, his family cheering from the stands. On the track, he found freedom. In the stands, his family found joy watching him doing what he loved. When his career took him to California, his focus changed from auto racing to restoration. What did not change was his love for family and cars.
Ralph will be remembered for his hard work ethic, his lifelong passion for cars and the love he had for his family. He expressed love through actions rather than words, and cars were how he showed he cared. His garage was more than a workspace-it was where he connected and shared pieces of himself.
In keeping with his wishes, cremation will take place and his life will be celebrated by family in their own way. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
GUESTBOOK
Ralph has been a good friend for many years. With our conversations typically on cars old and new, I will miss his incredible knowledge of “auto-mo-biles”: makes, models and history. I have seen him literally build a car from the ground up. The first time I met him he was driving a dark blue clear coat “67” Pontiac Bonneville he had restored (sort of). He’d customized it by putting on a Buick front end and an Olds back end. He was an incredible man and good friend. RIP old friend. -Scott Fisher
