Ronald Grant (known by his family and friends as Ron or Ronnie) was born on February 8th, 1962 in Madera, California. He passed away unexpectedly on June 19th 2020 in Bakersfield, California. Ron is survived by his wife, Denise; daughter Rebecca and son-in-law Anthony; his brother Steve and wife Cathy; his sister Joyce and husband David; his many nieces and nephews, and his rescue dogs, Heidi and Holly. He is preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Opal Grant.
Ron attended Dixieland Elementary in Madera before moving to Bakersfield. There, he attended Fairfax School and Foothill High School. He played both varsity football and baseball in high school, all while also working with his dad at the family’s farming business. He studied Ag-Business at Bakersfield College.
Ron believed in hard work and integrity, above all else. These admirable traits were hard-won through years of working for his dad. Although he loved farming, he began work for Kern Oil Refinery in 1988. There, he moved up quickly, and ultimately became the Operations Superintendent of the company.
For most of his life, his friend Jerry Gross’ Appaloosa ranch was the social axis of Ron and his family’s life. It was there he met and fell in love with his wife, Denise. As the story goes, Ron was trying to ride his green broke horse but didn’t have a saddle with him. Denise had the saddle, and the rest was history.
Ron will be most remembered for the deep love he had for his family, for the sacrifices he made to provide for them, and for his sense of humor. He was loyal to his family, his friends, his job, his animals, and his favorite beer, Coors Light. He loved being outside and took solace in the little things, like walking his dogs in the foothills of Bakersfield. He took pride in his garden and the beautiful things that were grown there. He was a man of few words, but always brought unmatched comfort and assurance to his loved ones. Life will never be the same without him in it.
A graveside service will be held at 10 am Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 at Hillcrest Memorial Park. A celebration of life will follow.
