Bob was born December 17, 1961 and unexpectedly passed on March 24, 2025.

Bob grew up in McKinleyville. He made it his stomping grounds from a young age and never let up. If you were from here as well or spent any good length of time here, I’m sure you knew him or at least knew of the guy they called “Rat.” He loved sports. He loved to talk about sports. He was a huge San Francisco Giants fan. So if you were a Dodgers fan, I’m sorry. If he was watching TV it was a sports game or a race of some sort. He was a big Dale Earnhardt fan. Three was his lucky number, hence why he picked the 3rd of the month for me to be born. Yeah, you could say he was a true fan.

He had many jobs in his lifetime. From installing garage doors to working in a wrecking yard, he could do almost anything. But out of all the jobs he had, being a dad was at the top of his list. If you knew Bob, you knew about me. I’ve been his sidekick since I was born. I could tell endless stories about going out on jobs with him as a kid, sitting in a dugout watching him play ball to being out at Redwood Acres watching the races from the grandstands, the pits or on the track racing each other as passengers in a Bomber. A memory I’ll never forget from the 2023 season is when dad got the opportunity to drive and I was his passenger. We did it all together. He was my best friend. My partner in crime.

Second to being a dad, becoming a Papaw was right up there on his list. It was like watching him and I all over again and he loved every single second of it. Don’t worry dad, we’re still going to that Giants game you promised Skarlet you’d take her to in May. She knows you’ll be there too, making sure the A’s don’t win.

Bob was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And his buddy Grit.

He is survived by his parents, Jay and Peggy Ratzlaff. Brother, Tim Ratzlaff. Daughter, Morgan Mayr (husband Casey). Granddaughter, Skarlet Mayr. Nieces, Tanaua Levin (husband Cameron, children Rian, Eira, Aspen and Dustin), Joie Van Beers (husband Jon), and Tanisha Ratzlaff. Along with several cousins, too many to list, near and far. And Jo, his current buddy that is now lost without him.

To know him was to love him. His rough around the edges exterior might have been slightly misleading, but you wouldn’t have found a more kind hearted, “give the shirt off your back” kind of guy with a sarcastic sense of humor like no other. He was there for his people, always willing to help if you needed him.

Dad, love you more.

There will be a celebration of life at the Moose Lodge in McKinleyville on Saturday May 31, 2025 from 12-4 p.m. We’ll be having a BBQ style potluck, so bring a dish if you’d like or just bring yourself and a story to tell.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Bob Ratzlaff’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.