Ralph H. Petter, age 64, beloved husband of Ellen P Petter, nee Felson; cherished father of Nicole P. Petter; loving son of the late Henry & Gertrude; dearest brother in law of Roberta (the late Jim) Morrison, Larry (Kathy) Felson and the late Rev. Roger (Dorothy) Felson; fond uncle and cousin of many.  Ralph was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing and camping.  He had a lifelong passion for conservation and coupled with his love of the outdoors, Ralph pursued and earned a Master of Art in Geography and Environmental Studies from Northeastern Illinois University.  Ralph was a great dog lover and a talented photographer and woodworker.  His deep interest in astronomy dated back as far back as his membership in his high school's astronomy club.  Ralph was a history buff of all time periods and took great joy as a living history reenactor and educator.  He was also a big fan of Team Deutschland and Indy car races.   Visitation Thursday, May 3 ^rd , 4 – 9 p.m. at Nelson Funeral Home , 820 Talcott Rd., Park Ridge, where a Funeral Service will be held Friday, May 4 ^th at 11a.m. Interment Irving Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association 208 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 1500, Chicago, IL 60604, www.heart.org. or the National Park Service, www.nps.gov