He was born on August 8, 1940, in Chicago, IL, to Victor and Constance (Valencia) Santos. He married Celeste Sison on May 23, 1964, in Chicago.
He was survived by his wife, children, Victor (Reb) Santos of Rockford, IL, Jennifer (Daniel) Ehrhart of Peoria, Paul (Lynne) Santos of Sioux City, IA, and Natalie Fortin of Goodyear, AZ; 15 grandchildren: Paul Fortin, Ted Ehrhart, Christopher Fortin, Victor Fortin, Max (Lauren) Ehrhart, Nicole Santos, Rachel Ehrhart, Sarah Fortin, Renee Santos, Jenna Santos, Joe Ehrhart, Adam Ehrhart and David Santos; sister, Victoria (Nuno) Santos-Rebelo and nephew, Thomas Rebelo of Fremont, CA.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Ron was proud to have served in the U.S. Army and was especially fond of his time stationed in France. He was a dedicated 4th Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus.
He had many passions such as photography, researching family ancestry and traveling. He was a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs and enjoyed cheering for his favorite player, Ron Santo. He was immensely proud of the many accomplishments of his children and grandchildren.
He was a member of St. Philomena Parish in Peoria.
Visitation will be from 3 – 6 p.m., followed by vigil and rosary on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at Davison-Fulton-Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home in Peoria. Funeral mass will be 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 18, 2024, at St. Philomena church. Visitation will be one hour prior to mass.
Entombment will be in Resurrection Mausoleum in Peoria.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at: act.alz.org/goto/RianoSantos or call 800-272-3900
You may view Ron’s obituary online at www.Woolsey-Wilton.com
