Artists of W 18th St: Ralph Scharff
Artists of W 18th Street Ralph Scharff When Mary and I were newly married, living in a trailer while I was in graduate school, she told me about an inspiring art teacher she had at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Ralph Scharff. Scharff was a rara avis at Ursuline at that time, not a nun, not female, and very outspoken. Mary described him as an active instructor who fully expressed his opinions. [Ralph had served in World War II in Burma and had suffered from leg injuries later exasperated by diabetes. He later lost his leg.] Mary has more stories to share over a drink. A few years later after we had moved back to Wilmington our next door 18th St neighbor died and his wife moved out, renting out the house. The new residents were Ralph, his wife, Carole, son Sean, and daughter Kevin. They soon became good friends. Kevin was near our daughters in age and became second generation friends in our family. The Scharffs had fam...