PORTSMOUTH-David Ratcliff, age 69, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Dec. 15, 2019. He battled leukemia with his typical wry wit for as long as he could.

David was born in Portsmouth, Va., to the late Bruce A. Ratcliff and Ocie Agnes Ratcliff on Sept. 13, 1950. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School, David matriculated to Old Dominion University. He married his high school sweetheart, Cathy Revell -- not once, but twice. They were married for 47 years.  David served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1970-76.

To everyone's amazement, David spent 20 years in retail banking, lending, marketing and branch management. In 1988, he turned full time to his real passion of photography, opening a studio in Churchland. He had clients across the country and his photographs were published in national magazines. He was an avid audiophile and leaves behind a substantial vinyl collection. He was the inventor of the Ultrasonic V8, a unique machine that cleans vinyl records. Later in life, David would turn his creative genius to Ratbots, whimsical one-of-a-kind robots made from found objects.

David embraced life fully with a positive attitude and subtle humor. He had a keen appreciation for beauty and anything unusual. He had a unique perspective that drove his artistic endeavors. His family was his life. He took great joy and pleasure in his role as Poppy to his grandsons Joel and Haven. He was a fixer, a hard worker, a harsh critic, a supporter and a fighter.

He is survived by his wife Cathy Revell; daughter Mandy Tamplin; son Justin Ratcliff and daughter-in-law Lindsey Salanga Ratcliff, and twin grandsons, Haven Brooks Ratcliff and Joel River Ratcliff; brother Haven A. Ratcliff and sister-in-law Karen Axtmann Ratcliff; niece Nichole Ratcliff Eishen and nephew Jamie Ratcliff.

A celebration of David's life will be held on Friday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 515 Court Street in Portsmouth. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society . Condolences may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.