Ralph Owen Marshall, born in Bermuda 1927, is descended from the Portuguese people of the Azores where his grandparents were born.

His maternal grandparents were Frank Simons and Antonio Isabella Simon born Reposa.

His parents, Joseph B. and Mical, always called Margaret, Marshall resided at White Hill, Southampton along with his younger brother Joseph M. Marshall well know as "Sandy's Zacky''.

Ralph and Joseph were happy little boys growing up in Bermuda during the horse and buggy days.

Their lives were filled with joy. They loved sports and enjoyed the fresh Bermuda sunshine and liked to fish and kick the football. Life was just great until their father, Joseph B. ran away with another woman when Ralph was age 10.

"My father gave us financial support. We lived near the Naval Annex, when it was being built and my mother, Margaret took in a border. We opened a variety store under the house where father had a grocery store,'' reflected Ralph Marshall.

Mr. Marshall describes his mother as a clever woman who had a lot of energy.

"She ran the house, kept the house, cooked and cared for us. She was strict about school work and helped with our education.

" She had a good business and managed her income well. I was one of the first students of the Port Royal School and one of the first to graduate,'' explained Mr. Marshall.

Mr. Marshall also attended the Bermuda Commercial School, Mount Allison Academy in New Brunswick, Canada, Mount Allison University and the Technical University of Nova Scotia.

He obtained a Bachelor of Engineering Degree and became a Bermuda registered architect and registered engineer. He was the first Portuguese Bermudian Professional to return to Bermuda to work in 1951.

"When I was a young man growing up in Bermuda there was a definite separation of English Bermudians and Portuguese Bermudians,'' Mr. Marshall said.

Mr. Marshall's business career began in 1953 when he joined the Dupont Company of Canada before forming the Marshall Bernardo Partnership in Bermuda in 1954.

Prior to his retirement he was an architect, civil engineer and senior partner of the firm.

In 1953 he married Patricia Frances Vallis of Bermuda and they had three children: Belinda, Marsha and Blake.

When he was a young man he never dreamed he would have such an illustrious career in politics. He was a Member of Parliament for Southampton West continuously from 1963 until his retirement in 1993 and he was a founding Parliamentary Member of the United Bermuda Party.

He has served on numerous government boards such as: Immigration, Transport Control, Agriculture and Fisheries, Works and Agriculture, Fisheries Advisory Committee and Trustee on the Port Royal Golf Course.

He has a history also with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and has attended many conferences around the world: Mauritius, Isle of Man, Kuala Lumpur, Canberra, Barbados, Zimbabwe, India, Bahamas, Cyprus to name a few.

"One of the greatest highlights of my life came when I was awarded a CBE by the Queen in 1992,'' Mr. Marshall said.

He is proud of his many accomplishments such as being Ministers of Transport, Works and Engineering and Health and Social Services in the Bermuda Government.

He said one of his greatest political accomplishments was during the time he was elected to the executive committee of the Commonwealth Parliament Association (CPA) during the 1980s.

He represented the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands. The CPA is an association of all of the Parliaments of the British Commonwealth. Mr. Marshall was elected Deputy Chairman of the executive committee in Australia in 1988.

"In 1947 I was one of 27 flight cadets chosen to train in the Royal Canadian Air Force. I trained in Trenton, Ontario but did not finished the course. I loved it but I was told that I had a lack of air sense,'' he said with a soft laugh.

Mr. Marshall has represented Bermuda on a number of occasions. He went to Puerto Rico in 1971 to attend a United Nations Housing conference. While serving as a Government Minister he played a leading role in the purchase and development of the St. George's's Golf Course, the new Wadford Bridge, the ramp improvement at the Airport, the new bus garage, the new channel entrance to St. George's Harbour, and the purchase of several tracts of land for our parks system.

In his professional capacity his firm, Marshall Bernardo Partnership, designed and supervised many of Bermuda's large projects such as the Bermuda College, Mt. St. Agnes Academy and many office buildings in Hamilton.

"When I was in University I played many sports such as rugby, soccer, basketball and boxing. My main accomplishment being Maritime Intercollegiate Welterweight Champion in boxing,'' he recalled.

Mr. Marshall is a leader and the kind of person who accomplishes goals. He says his goals for the future include staying healthy and living as long as possible, traveling and enjoying his favourite hobbies of golf and fishing.

Although he is semi-retired, he works in his Hamilton office every morning. On Tuesdays he plays golf with the Seniors at the Riddles Bay Golf Club where he is a member. On Wednesdays he has a regular golf game with friends, Walter Sharpe and Donald Chadwick.

The Honourable Ralph Marshall has made many contributions to our Island and he is proud to be of Portuguese descent.

He is a memorable person with charisma who enjoys being productive and spending time with his family and friends.

Portuguese family gathering: Far left is Ralph Marshall in 1947 with Aunt Margaret, Uncle Sam's wife, Uncle Same and daughter, and cousin Donald Simons at Fall River, Massachuetts.

Happy duo: Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Marshall strike a pose in front of their home.