Leon Ronso Jr.

My husband, Dr. Leon (NMN) Ronso, Jr. PHD, PSYD, known as Lee, of nearly 50 years, whom I will always and forever love, passed on October 4, 2025, at 12:04 AM in the ER of the University of South Alabama’s Hospital, just a week and a day short of his 70th birthday. He was born on October 12, 1955, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For his birthday, I (Kim B. Clayton Ronso), Lee’s wife, got him what he had been saying he wanted for about a year, which was a Doxie that he could sit and hold again like he had with his 13 other Doxies and 1 Chiweenie of which all but 3 were rescues, since the 2 rescues we have at present are mid-sized mutts that cannot be held due to their size. Obviously, not that he loved these 2 any less, he just missed holding a dog on his lap. These 2 are just too big to sit on anyone’s lap unfortunately for them and all of us. At any rate, our new addition to the family was only 7 weeks old when Lee was presented with this sweet little, almost entirely black, puppy that he named “Sammie” after the Bewitched character, Samantha, as it was October and Halloween was around the corner. Lee chose well, as the name fits her for several reasons.

Moreover, all of our dogs’ names have started with an “S” with the males having a military based name: Soldier, Semper Fi, Sergeant, Snipper, Salvo, Sabre, Skipper, Sortie, and Sonar, and the females having names such as: Sattie, Sabbie, Soffie, Sarrie, Siddnie, and now Sammie. Our 2 fur baby mutts’ names are Scout (male) and Sweettie (female). Every one of them loved with all of Lee’s heart. Lee had a tremendous soft spot for animals that were abused, and he adopted as many as he could in order to give them the best possible life for the rest of their lives that existed as he could. His dream was to establish an animal rescue reserve for all kinds of animals but specializing in miniature ones such as: horses, donkeys, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, etc., and opening it up to disabled children, veterans, and 1st responders. I believe at some point his dream would have come to fruition although not without many tribulations along the way at no fault of his own but due to his bad luck.

I realize I am speaking of pets rather than people and Lee’s family specifically. One must understand Lee was not a typical person, as those who knew him can attest. He held his fur babies as family members who were still babies who needed him, unlike his children who are very well grown. Our eldest, Clayton, who followed family tradition and entered the military as the 6th straight consecutive generation to serve and now volunteers as a firefighter and 1st responder, married Summer Dawn Mrock Ronso, who also served in the military and now works as a GS employee for the Bureau of Land Management. They have 2 daughters. Lee’s eldest granddaughter and middle grandchild is KT, as we call her. She is a beautiful and bright almost 20 year old young lady who, like her grandfather, has many interests. Lee’s youngest granddaughter is Carlisle, who is now 15 and a great student who I believe may still want to be a veterinarian, as she too, like her grandfather, loves animals.

Our middle child and only daughter, Calley, who followed Lee into the Substance Treatment Field as a licensed therapists for about 20 years before she called it quits so to speak, is the mother of our eldest grandchild and only grandson, Colton. She has been seeing Michael, who, like Lee, is jack of all trades: plumber, CDL truck driver, etc. so to speak, for a few years now.

Colton will be 24 on the 14th of October and is truly Lee’s mini-me. He has now of his own volition assumed all responsibility for Sammie for his grandfather. He has also assumed the position of the man of the house of his own volition as well, since Clay and Cray both live out of state. Lee is beaming with pride right now as his Colton has stepped up to the plate.

Our youngest child, Crayton, who is a very talented artist who is a great portrait artist indeed follows Lee’s example in creating pieces of work. Whether that be of wood, glass, plants, etc. in Lee’s case, or of oils, pastels, charcoals, etc. in Cray’s case. Cray’s has been seeing Jason, who is also affiliated with the GS system, as he performs background and/or security status checks on governmental members and/or employees, for a year or so.

My children have all gone above and beyond for me at this point in time specifically. Both Michael and Jason have been a God send to me at this time particularly as well. I do not know what I would do without all of them! At least for now, I will remain here in Cantonment with Calley and Colton along with Scout, Sweetie, and our newest addition, Sammie.

Lee always said that our family put the “FUN” in dysfunctional. Lee had a wicked sense of humor that tended to run on the dark side of humor. He could and would find the solemnest situation funny in some respect. Calley and to some extent Cray follow this tendency as well. He once took police crime scene tape and roped off his colleague’s office at the Naval Hospital’s SARP Treatment Center after outlining a body in chalk on the office’s floor with a notice posted that basically stated not to enter this crime scene that was signed by NCIS’s Special Agent, Jethro Gibbs. Of course this prevented his colleague from performing his duties, since he did not know of or catch the fictional name on the notice. By the end of the day his colleague was figuratively climbing the walls, which finally led Lee to express to his colleague, “April fools!” Lee told his employee that this was the only way of which he could think to get this specific psychologist to take a well deserved break.

Lee loved to play practical jokes like this, especially on his children. He would take parts off of Calley’s car and expect her to put them back in running order while not being late for school. This occurred monthly if not more so, until Calley took off all of the wheels on her father’s car, just as he had done to her car the week before.

Unfortunately however, on this particular day, he had an important meeting with the base commander, hospital commander, unit commanders, and visiting VIP civilian guests (of which Calley knew nothing) forcing Lee to take my car, as he was already dressed in one of his best suits and did not have the time to put his wheels back on his car. This dose of medicine was indeed on the bitter side and on the other foot. Thus, this particular practice of now dismantling each other’s vehicles was put to rest by both parties involved after this incident.

With Cray however, the practical jokes regarding the ventriloquist doll would reappear and reoccur every few years tormenting his poor son. Lee would hang the dummy in Cray’s shower, place the dummy in his car, show up at his HS play, in which Cray had a part, with the dummy, show up at his graduation with the dummy, etc. Cray threw that dummy away numerous times, but it always managed to magically reappear. Crayton had a fear of that ventriloquist dummy ever since Calley scared him so horrifically as an 8 year old with it. It was such a shame as Cray at that young age was really good at throwing his voice without the benefit of moving his lips hardly at all. Cray just had luck like his father unfortunately. Hopefully, though it will change to that of a lucky person’s very shortly for his sake as well as all of ours.

With Clay there was no specific ritual involved, but he would find himself the victim of Lee’s practical jokes every bit as much as the others, like showing up at Clay’s HS Open House to meet and greet the teachers for that year with a false bad and missing teeth joking set of dentures, his hair disheveled, wearing ill-fitting, old, stained clothing with holes in them to speak with each new teacher on the topic of education needless to say.

Lee would do anything and everything to embarrass someone for whom he cared. With me, when I would ask him if there was anything that he needed or wanted before I checked out from any store, he would yell so that all could hear, “Just a divorce, you witch, just a divorce!” And when he would occasionally purchase beer for instance, as he placed it on the counter, he would yell so all could again hear, “You know what the doctors stated about your continued drinking!” He loved doing things like this to those he loved and respected. Of course, there were those who he did not prank, only because they were too smart to fall for such; and not because he did not want to also “get them good”. Otherwise, he left those for which he had no time alone not to suffer the horrors of humiliation of his practical jokes and ironically his laughter of his utmost caring. These people were not worth his time and/or effort.

Lee also exhibited other 4H characteristics that I consider essential for any person of great success to possess. Those characteristics besides humor include humanity, humility and honesty. Lee always put others before himself. In fact, I cannot recall 1 instance in which he put himself first and foremost. This simply never occurred.

In his humanity, Lee never once took credit either. Thus, exhibiting his humility in the process. Lee was never one for the spotlight so to speak in any form or fashion: not professionally, not personally, and/or not privately either. As for honesty, he had that down pat to a fault, as Lee could be brutally honest time and time again.

He did not mean to inflict harm intentionally ever, but Lee did, as we all have at some point, unintentionally hurt one’s feelings from time to time not realizing then that honesty can indeed be hurtful at times. Especially when people are unaware of the truth, as it so stands. Yet, no one ever to my knowledge held a grudge against him for his honesty, as I truly think that each of them knew that Lee was only advocating for each and every one of them to be successful in his or her endeavors in life with all that he was worth time and time again.

Lee was an only child so has no siblings. I have a sister who is Lee’s sister-in-law, Cathy Louise Clayton Catanese who married Joseph Catanese. They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren with another on the way. Lee has 2 nieces, Cody and Cassie, and 1 nephew, Cory. Cody has Lee’s grandnephew, Braydon, and she also is expecting. Cassie has Lee’s grandniece, Charlie, as we call her. And Cory has Lee’s grandnephew, Sam. All of whom he truly adored! Also, Lee (as do I) considered William (Bill) Colburn and Jane Bowman Colburn to be family. They have 2, that Lee also claimed, children, Sarah and Shane. Sarah has Lee’s claimed grandniece, Ella, and his claimed grandnephew, Adam. Shane has Lee’s claimed grandniece, Chloe. Jane and Bill just celebrated their 49th anniversary. And Lee and I were right behind them by exactly 2 months. That is how long that these family members regardless of origin, have all been there for us in good times as well as in bad ones no matter where in the world we were at the time. Many more people are considered family.

If Lee did not have “bad luck” he would have had no luck at all. He should have been recognized for this fact in the Guinness Book of World Records, as even in his passing his luck, or rather bad luck or even to a point no luck whatsoever, continues in the fact that the State of Alabama’s Death Certificate Office has been unable as we have been told to reestablish its computer sites for at this point nearly a week, and the Federal Government is experiencing a shut down at present meaning the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery’s Office in Pennsylvania cannot be contacted for interment nor can the Social Security Office, the Veterans Administration Office, the Department of Defense Finance Office, etc. for notification, etc, purposes. Now it will be 2 weeks. What a record of lack of luck indeed!

Lee and I met in 1974 through ROTC at Penn State when Lee was the Cadet Commander. I was talking in the ranks, as I am always running my mouth as most everyone already is well aware, when Lee ordered me to drop and give him 20 pushups. I looked at him, and liked what I saw. A man of character, and oh boy what a character! Lee was a card plain and simple. He of course was the “Joker” card needless to say.

At any rate, I held up my left hand, which has been deformed since birth, as most everyone knows, and pointed to it with my right while replying that I was excused. Lee asked me out the very next day after returning home from maneuvers. Which of course spoke volumes to me regarding the man he was. We remained together ever since that encounter even if at times we wished the other’s nonexistence. However, in the end we always ended up loving, supporting, and advocating for one another no matter what!

Nevertheless, our first date was the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1974 when we went to dinner at the Farmer in the Dell that was on Route 202 and to a movie, which was The Odessa Files. We announced our engagement at the ROTC Military Ball in May of 1975. We were married on December 4, 1976, at Lionville Methodist Church off Route 113, and the reception of course was held at the Farmer in the Dell, which has been gone for over 30 years now. What a shame, as they had an aesthetic atmosphere that could not be beat and the best food, of which there was a great selection from sea food to delicious roast beef sandwiches and everything in between.

Lee and I both graduated in August of 1977 from Penn State with our Undergraduate Degrees although technically Lee was a year ahead of me. Lee graduated from HS in 1973 from Chichester, and I graduated in 1974 from Downingtown. Lee’s college major was in Law Enforcement and Corrections, and mine was in Pre-Law and Political Science. Lee would tease me that his GPA was higher than mine, but I would just say that it took him 4 years and 1 term to earn enough credits; whereas I had earned all of my credits in 3 years and 1 term. Besides, Lee’s GPA was not all that much higher than mine any way, as it was only by a tenth or so higher. Although I must admit that he was one intelligent individual at that; he possessed both book smarts and street smarts (common sense wise) to boot. Not much escaped his attention, and hardly anything got passed him, period. He was so quick to catch onto what was occurring or attempting to occur before him. Lee could peg a person in a heartbeat, and he was ever so rarely wrong in his initial assessment at that.

Lee was the first to receive his Master’s in Social Science. I followed with my Master’s in Political Science and Public Administration. He, however, unlike me, was not ready to stop pursuing his education. Lee continued and earned his second Master’s in Marriage and Family Counseling. Next, he earned his first Doctorate in Hospital Administration. His last Doctorate was in Psychology, which he earned almost 30 years ago.

Lee was always learning something. He was always taking some kind of course whether that be in Asian Landscaping, Chinese Cooking (earning a Chef’s Certificate), Stained Glass, Glass Blowing, Locksmithing, etc. His last course was a Captain’s Boating one in which he finished in August of 2025.

After his recent retirement, he started two small businesses: a Federal Firearms Dealership called Gus’s Guns and a Private Eye Firm called Emerald Coast Private Investigations, both of which he had just begun to get off the ground.

After graduation from Penn State, Lee was commissioned into the AirForce, which my dad had convinced him was a better choice than the Army of which my dad served in both. Both Lee’s dad and my dad had retired from the military. Lee’s dad retired with 20 years in the Navy with 19 years at sea. My dad retired with almost 22 years of service with 7 years in the Army and 14+ years Air Force.

Lee himself retired with: 3 years of an Amry ROTC Enlistment Contract (which the DOD refused to recognize even though he had a DD214), 4 years as an active Air Force Officer at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota (where Clayton Raymond and Calley Lee were born), then 2 years as an Army Reserve Officer in a Pennsylvania Unit, next 4 years as an active Marine Corps Staff Sergeant at 29 Palms MCAGCC in California (where Crayton Kent was born), followed by 2 years as a Wisconsin National Guard Officer, and finally about 10 plus as an Army Reserve Officer. In total, not counting ROTC, 22+ years that Lee served his country. Counting ROTC time, it was over a quarter of a century that Lee served his country in a military uniform whether that be an Army, an Air Force or a Marine Corps one! Very few people can say that he or she served in 3 different branches of our nation’s armed forces.

Moreover, Lee served his country in the Government Service (GS) System for over 32 years. He first served with the Department of the Navy at Great Lakes as the Assistant Director of the Alcohol Rehabilitation Treatment (ART) Center at the Naval Hospital for 2 years. Next Lee served with the Department of the Army as their Director of the Substance Treatment Program, which he wrote, instated, administered, and directed for the entire Pacific Rim Region for the Army via Torii Station on Okinawa for 5 years. Then Lee accepted a job at Ft Myers next to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia near Washington DC for only a few months before accepting his final position at the Pensacola Naval Hospital here in Florida running their Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Program.

He then wrote, instituted, administered, and directed the Navy’s Outpatient Program which was very quickly referred to as its Premiere Program by the Navy. Lee’s Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) was then instituted throughout the Navy at Great Lakes in Illinois, San Diego in California, Jacksonville in Florida, etc. Lee spent 25 years as the Program Director of the SARP amongst other duties. His success rates, of which were not only unheard, but were also unequaled with rates that ranged from the upper 90% to the mid 80% for numerous years, until the Navy instituted a Department Head military position for promotional purposes, which essentially killed Lee’s program and possibly even patients who did not receive the proper treatment as all patients once had. Under Lee’s direction patients had an exceptional chance at combating this disease. Lee retired when he realized that he could no longer have successful outcomes and/or prevent someone from being seriously injured or even killed. He could not have lived with himself when this foreseeable action occurred. In total accounting for shared time and counting all times served including ROTC, Lee served his country for over 45 years in and out of uniform for our government’s entities. Moreover, not many people can say they worked for 2 branches of the military as a civil servant, let alone that they authored a Substance Treatment Program for each of said branches saving many lives in the process as stated by countless former patients themselves.

Lee was acknowledged, branded, considered, designated, identified, labelled, recognized, specified, termed, etc. an addictions treatment expert. He was well respected as an authority on this topic to say the least.

In fact, when Lee’s MOS was assigned as one based in Security and Law Enforcement before he transferred into Substance Treatment he was also deemed an expert in his field with his having articles and reports published on said topics, which were cited by others as resources for reference. Lee never did anything professionally that was less than stellar!

For those who truly knew Lee, it was not out of the ordinary for him to be interested in many different things and religion being among them. He was born and christened Catholic like both his parents (Leon (NMN) Ronso, Sr. and Elizabeth Ann Jones Ronso) who are, and have been for many years, now deceased.

When Lee met me, who was Methodist by default, as I was raised non-denominational utilizing the Military Chapel System. My parents (Raymond Ronald Clayton and Sylvia Jane Beaver Clayton) who are, and have been for a while also, now deceased as well, were Protestant with my mom being a Methodist, and my dad being a Baptist. Lee throughout his life viewed many religions such as the Latter Day Saints, the Buddhists, etc. as possibilities to his search. Almost 25 years ago, he apparently found what he was seeking and converted to Judaism. We celebrated both Hannukah and Christmas as well as the other religious holidays of both religions as a family. In Lee’s honor, we will continue to do so.

I hope I have painted an accurate portrait of the person Lee was. An exceptionally giving person who would do all he could for someone in need. A loving and caring person who would do anything that was asked of him, sometimes to his own detriment at that. He never put money above people like so many tend to do these days. Lee always fought and advocated for his troops, his patients and staff, victims of all kinds including animals, and of course his family and friends.

Lee was a person on which one could absolutely count and rely no matter what! Lee served as the kids’ soccer, t-ball, softball, and baseball coach as well as the boys’ Cub Scout leader, Cub Master, etc, Boy Scout leader, Scout Master, etc. and as Calley’s Girl Scout board member, etc. Lee participated in anything and everything that he could concerning his children and grandchildren. He loved them all with all of his heart!

I know Lee’s passing is being acknowledged in a rather different way than most people proceed to do, starting with this oddly, uncharacteristically, unchronologically written story of Lee’s life. Lee was indeed a unique person in every aspect imaginable to be recognized as that 1 individual in a 1,000, 000 so to speak. He did not want a viewing, a burial ceremony, a reception, or a wake of any kind.

He wanted to be cremated (and flushed down the head, as he said that he would already be wherever he was going according to his dark sense of humor, and besides, he could save money in the process! HAHA) and interred at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery just as my parents were with a very small gathering and the bare minimum of a military sendoff. We of course will thus respect and honor Lee’s wishes.

We do, however, sincerely and respectfully invite one and all to state the remembrances, times, antics, thoughts, feelings, and good-byes, etc. regarding Lee. Please feel free to make those annotations as long or as short as need be. We, all of Lee’s family, thank you with all of our hearts for taking the time to post about Lee. It means the world to all of us, and we know it would to Lee himself as well. Thank you, and God Bless!

On behalf of my husband, Lee,

The love of my life, heart, being, and soul,

Kim