Caroline Sue Ratcliffe

Aug 11, 1940 -

Feb 27, 2026

Caroline Sue (Cox) Ratcliffe died on Feb. 27, 2026.

Caroline was born in Columbus, Ohio. She was preceded in death by older half-brother, Jay; two older brothers, Roger and Howard; and younger sister, Martha. She was a Girl Scout and enjoyed playing the clarinet in the marching band. In 1958, she came to Alaska with her older brother, Roger, and his wife, Norma. She attended college at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She spent the school year on campus and worked summers at Denali Park. She met her husband, Layne Ratcliffe, the first week at school playing pinochle where Layne winked at her. For their first date Layne took her rabbit hunting. He continued to impress her by flying to visit her when she worked summers at Denali Park.

After earning a degree in home economics, she and Layne were married and started their family. They raised their family in the Alaskan lifestyle: camping, flying to their cabin and fishing in Seward. When the kids were older, she worked for the Anchorage School District Food Service. Caroline enjoyed sewing, cooking and gardening, and always had a dog by her side.

She and Layne made the most of retirement, traveling and visiting friends and family. She and her husband went everywhere together until he passed. Caroline enjoyed visiting relatives, attending church, going out with friends from the Winsome Widows group and talking to her sister Mary. Caroline was a warm, happy and devoted person who always had a smile. She will be missed by all.

She is survived by her sister, Mary (Curtis) Simon; children, Dale (Debbie) Ratcliffe, Ken (Susan) Ratcliffe, both of Anchorage, Alaska, and June (Colin) Miller of Eugene, Ore.; grandchildren, Jamie (Lindsey) Miller, Kelsey (Reid) Davis, Kristen (Dan) Taylor, Trenton Ratcliffe, Aaron Miller, Casey Miller and Heidi Ratcliffe; and great-grandchildren, Theodore Taylor, Logan Davis, Naomi Taylor, Levi Davis, Mabel Taylor and Brooke Davis.

A celebration of life service will be held on March 7, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Jewel Lake Parish, 3833 Strawberry Road in Anchorage.