Ralph Lyman Wilcox was born at Grove Farm, Kauai, in 1876 into a prominent and distinguished Kauai family. He was the grandson of American Protestant missionaries Abner and Lucy Hart Wilcox of Waioli, Kauai; the eldest child of Samuel Whitney
Ralph Lyman Wilcox was born at Grove Farm, Kauai, in 1876 into a prominent and distinguished Kauai family.
He was the grandson of American Protestant missionaries Abner and Lucy Hart Wilcox of Waioli, Kauai; the eldest child of Samuel Whitney and Emma Lyman Wilcox of Grove Farm; the nephew of Grove Farm Plantation owner George Norton Wilcox; and the brother of Gaylord Parke, Elsie Hart, Mabel Isabel, Lucy Etta and Charles Henry Wilcox — all men and women of accomplishment.
His wife, Anna Rice Wilcox, was the granddaughter of missionaries William Harrison and Mary Sophia Hyde Rice, and her father, William Hyde Rice, had been governor of Kauai during the reign of Queen Liliuokalani.
As a young man, Ralph Wilcox became connected with all the leading business enterprises of Kauai; most notably, as assistant to George Norton Wilcox at Grove Farm.
Quiet, grave and thoughtful, and a friend who could be depended upon, as well as a talented businessman, he seemed destined for continued success in life until fate cruelly intervened on Saturday afternoon, July 12, 1913.
He’d not been feeling well for some time previously and had gone with friends and family to his beach house at Haena for the weekend to relax.
At around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, he was swimming off Haena with his wife and Miss Waterhouse in a strong current, when he was suddenly seized by a heart attack.
Although heroic efforts were made to save him by Mrs. Wilcox and Miss Waterhouse, as well as by Mrs. Scott, an unnamed Japanese boy and Louisa Kelaula — who swam out to assist in saving him — he released his hold on Mrs. Wilcox and Miss Waterhouse, sank beneath the waves and died.
The body was recovered soon afterwards and was brought to shore, where attempts were made to revive him, to no avail. Ralph Wilcox was only 37 years old.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox were survived by an adopted daughter, Eunice Hyde Scott Wilcox.
