Ronald "Ron" Dean Althoff

Ronald “Ron” Dean Althoff, age 89, of Lewis Center, OH passed away peacefully on March 29, 2023. Ron was born in Fremont, OH on December 20, 1933. After graduating from Fremont Ross High School in ‘52, Ron served as a supply clerk in the US Army. He married Janet Swartzlander in ‘59 and was married for 46 years. He graduated from Ohio State University in ‘61 with an education degree and later earned a Master of Education degree from Xavier University in ‘67. Ron started his career as a P.E./health teacher and coach in Fairborn, OH. Then moving to Columbus, he worked as an Assistant Director of Intramural Sports at OSU. Here he had the opportunity to mentor hundreds of student officials to manage and run more than 70 intramural football, softball or baseball games each night. Ron was also known as the “Voice of the Buckeyes” as he was the public address announcer for the Buckeye football and basketball games for 17 years. As if that wasn’t enough to keep him busy at Ohio State, in 1983 he founded and then grew the Jesse Owens Track and Field Classic to a world caliber meet that drew many Olympic athletes.

A true passion of Ron’s life was track and field and he talked frequently about what an honor it was to work with “so many highly qualified, dedicated officials who always put the athletes first.” Ron had the opportunity to serve as an Umpire at the 1984 Olympic Games in L.A. and Chief Umpire at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta as well as serving as part of the Olympic officials selection committee for the Atlanta Games. Even though Ron officiated at this high level, you could still find him coordinating meets locally at the middle school and high school level whether it be track and field or cross country. His love for the sport ran deep and he worked to create an atmosphere where every athlete would have a chance to perform to his or her best ability. Ron was also a charter member and the first president of TRACO. Ron’s love for the sport gave back to him with not only fulfillment and dear friends but also many awards, honors and hall of fame inductions. To name a few, he has been inducted into the USA Track and Field National Officials’ Hall of Fame as well as the Ohio Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Ron has been a member of Ascension Lutheran Church since 1969 where he served frequently as an usher and also the Aladdin Shrine Medical Unit since 1978. Ron enjoyed woodworking in his spare time as well as spending time with family. Summer trips were always extra special to him with the grandkids. In his later years, Ron’s signature message was “Keep smiling, think positive and sprinkle in a little patience”.

Ron is preceded in death by his wife Jan, parents Oscar and Alice, siblings Raymond, Anne and Jeanne, Nephew, Raymond Jr. Survived by wife Nina, daughters Laura Tackett (Darrell) of Brownsburg, IN, Lynne Hobbs (Bob) of Thornton, CO and Leslie Kelleher (Jim) of Lee’s Summit, MO. Grandchildren Hannah, Justin, Abigail, Emily, Charles and Andrew, siblings Robert and Marilyn, as well as many nieces and nephews, and other wonderful family members and friends.

Visitation will be held Friday, April 7th from 4-7pm at Schoedinger Gahanna 1051 E Johnstown Road. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 8th at Ascension Lutheran Church 1479 Morse Road Columbus at 2pm with additional visiting hours starting at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Special Olympics Ohio, Inc., Ascension Lutheran Church or The Dementia Project.

Special memories and condolences for the family can be emailed to [email protected].