Ronald Ralph Koenig

Ronald Ralph Koenig was born to Martin Koenig and Audra Mae Koenig (Baldridge) on August 26, 1936, in Saginaw, Michigan. He departed this life peacefully on September 6, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Julia Breidenstein, and by his children, Dr. Christine Seguin (Ben Seguin), Ronald Koenig (Terri Sibo-Koenig), Martin Koenig, Honorable Judge Carol Koenig (James Boucher), Kari Lehman, and Andrew Lehman (Emily Houh), and grandchildren June Seguin, Catherine Seguin, Griffin Sibo, Robin Sibo, Nicholas Boucher, Edward Houh Lehman, and Rowan Houh Lehman. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Jack, and his sister Donna LaFave.

Ron loved spending time with his family, teaching students, camping, and bird watching. He enjoyed writing poetry and playing Santa Claus during the holidays. Ron befriended the homeless community and was passionate about social justice. He loved his family deeply, often expressing care with his delectable cooking and by providing a listening ear.

Ron studied at the University of Detroit (U of D) and Central Michigan University. At U of D, he met his first wife, Dorean Koenig (Hurley). They married in 1957 and had four children together. He went on to earn a Master of Social Work Degree at Wayne State University in 1963.

He met his beloved wife Julia in 1978. They enjoyed forty-seven years together, living first in Detroit and later in Ann Arbor. Together, Ron and Julia treasured time with their children and grandchildren. They shared a life of travel, adventure, rich food, and robust friendships.

A beloved professor, Ron taught social work at the University of Detroit-Mercy for over thirty years. He received an Exemplary Teaching Award in 1993. In 2010, the National Association of Social Workers Michigan Chapter awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ron dedicated his life to social justice organizing. As a member of the Detroit Chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Ron participated in sit-ins to integrate restaurants in Detroit in the 1950s. He marched at Selma during the Civil Rights Movement and continued to attend CORE community events over the years. Later, he was a key organizer in the hard-fought campaign for a joint faculty and staff union at U of D and served as its first elected president.

An avid outdoorsman, Ron was an adventurer at heart. He lived and studied for a time in Vienna and traveled to Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, the American West, Australia, and Brazil. He especially loved spending time in nature, whether at the family’s land in Dyer’s Bay, Ontario, at Algonquin Provincial Park, or at his longtime friend Bill Sloan's cabin near Gaylord, Michigan.

Ron will be remembered for his love of learning, quick wit, and deep compassion. He could often be found reading the New York Times, watching PBS, writing poems, telling jokes, sharing Oreos and milk, and spending time with friends and family. A private celebration of life will take place in October.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The University of Detroit Mercy Social Work Program in his name. Select the designation of Social Work Program Fund at Donate to University of Detroit Mercy. Alternatively, gifts may be made to the Bruce Trail Conservancy in Ron’s honor by following this link: Tribute Gift- https://support.brucetrail.org/site/Donation2 idb=61746525&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T