Ronald A Ball

Cowboy Singer and Western Artist, Ron Ball, passed away suddenly at his home at The Lazy Easel Ranch on Monday, August 23, 2021. He was born on August 21, 1936 to Raymond and Opal Ball in Denver, Colorado. As a young boy, his love of being a cowboy, artist, and singer led him in many areas of life. Ron fell in love with the singing cowboys especially Roy Rogers, which led him to his first wrangling job with horses at the age of 13. Most of those years were spent at Onahu Ranch near Grand Lake. He started attending the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo at the age of 10 and continued going the rest of his life even after his working years. After graduation from South High School in Denver, he joined the Marines and served six years. Living at that time in California, he started his career as a Los Angeles Police Officer retiring after 20 years as a Detective Sergeant. His mountains of Colorado brought him back home in 1984 where he decided that Estes Park would be his forever home. During those years working as an officer he continued with singing traditional cowboy songs and painting Western scenes all over the west. Inspired by his singing Father, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers, as well as by his Grandmother who was an artist, Charles Russell, and Will James, it was only natural for him to combine these influences and become a singing Cowboy and western artist. He has entertained extensively at ranches in the Estes Park area as well as helping with the ranch work, such as moving cattle and branding. Ron was a founding member of the Western Music Association, has written 2 books, illustrated many books, and cowboy singing groups album covers, and continued doing local acting for plays and melodramas until a couple of years ago. He also does many benefit shows at nursing homes, senior centers, churches, schools and childrens' camps where he teaches children about the cowboy life. Four times he has spent a day with a Make-A-Wish child whose wishes were to spend a day with a real cowboy. On June 17, 2008, at a benefit at the Estes Park Senior Center, he was surprised when Denver's Channel 7 News Anchor Mitch Jelniker interrupted the show and presented Ron with the Colorado 7 Everyday Hero award for all of his volunteer work. Ron stated, "This fulfills a lifetime commitment I made with my Dad many years ago while performing with him at places in the Denver area such as Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in the 40s and 50s." Ron was very honored to be invited onstage by Roy "Dusty" Rogers, Jr. to sing with him and his band "The High Riders" at the Roy Rogers Dale Evans Museum & Happy Trails Theatre in Branson, Missouri. He has been a friend of the Rogers family since the early 60s. During his Western shows, he paid tribute to Roy Rogers with not only the music and family stories, but with his custom made double eagle boots, set of six guns, spurs and his white Roy Roger's hat. He also loved singing the songs of the Crooners (Frank Sinatra) with the Estes Park Jazz Band. He was asked to be the 2010 Estes Park Rooftop Rodeo Parade Marshal. Ron has sung "The National Anthem" (a song that has so much meaning to him) for several years at the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, at the Greeley Stampede, and at Cheyenne Frontier Days. In 2010 he performed "The National Anthem" in Denver at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo. He was extremely honored to sing all the vocals for the six sold-out Wild West Shows for The National Western for several years. He was also asked to write a special song about a famous bucking horse "Midnight" for the Wild West Shows. In January 2011 he was given an award by the Mayor and Town Trustees in his hometown of Estes Park at a special board meeting for all his "contributions to keeping our western cowboy heritage alive through his music and his art; and express profound appreciation for his generosity and service to our community". He was so proud of his step children and great grandchildren for learning to be good horsemen and horsewoman with his two youngest daughters becoming Rooftop Rodeo Queens. Ron's greatest rewards were the children who grew up to appreciate the "Cowboy Way Of Life". Ron leaves behind his wife Janie, his horse Gypsy and his new horse "Trigger" and six Shih Tzu's, Coco, Scooter, Lacey, Jenni, Rocky and Emmi, step children: Darlene Rodella, Tina Oldenburg (David), Michael Parker (Mary), Michelle Shriver (David), Melissa Kuhn (Ron), Mandy Quinby (John), and step-grandchildren: Kendyll Kinnard, Madison Pickard, Delaney Pickard, Ryker Oldenburg, Marina Oldenburg, Jordan Oldenburg, Caleigh Shriver, Samantha Crouse, Sara Crouse, Colby Quinby, Skyler Quinby and Payton Quinby and one step Great-granddaughter, Camdyn Kinnard. He also leaves behind his many friends who have supported him over the years. He also leaves behind his sister-in-law Verna Ostling, nieces Linda Ostling, Cindy Nappier and four great nieces and one great nephew and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his Dad Ray Ball, his step-mother Leona Ball, his brother Keith Ostling and his nephew Ron Ostling.