June 12, 1943- January 30, 2021
Ron was born in Richmond, Kentucky during World War II. Soon after the family moved to Hammond, Indiana. As a boy growing up, he remembered that if the skies were grey with soot from the steel mills, times were good in Hammond.
After graduating from Hammond High, Ron decided to join the United States Marine Corps – a move that would shape the rest of his life. After basic training at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, Ron had many adventures. He was involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis on a Naval Destroyer headed for Havana before the Russians blinked. Later, he was one of the first foot soldiers on the ground in Vietnam, serving proudly for more than two years and coming home to regale his family with stories for many years. He considered the Corps his first degree in education.
While in basic training, Ron fell in love with California. After discharge he returned to the Bay Area and enrolled in City College of San Francisco on the GI Bill. He earned an accounting degree from Gold Gate University. Ron was a CPA in the Bay Area for many years, working for Arthur Anderson, the semiconductor industry, and later becoming the CFO of Rosendin Electric. It was during this time that his two children, Tammy and Ron Jr. were born.
After a short stint in Arizona, Ron returned to the Bay Area, founding Republic Electric in Novato California. In the early 2000’s, Ron and his wife Candace retired to Pebble Creek in Goodyear, Arizona where he enjoyed the Marine Corps League, crossword puzzles, the Arizona sunshine, and following conservative politics - joking that he came to Arizona to follow the creator of the Modern-Day Conservatives Barry Goldwater.
Ron is survived by his wife of 43 years, Candace, Daughter Tammy Martinez (Jeff), Son Ron Jr. (Rebecca) and six grandchildren: Leah and Devin Martinez; Rochelle, Justin, Jordan & Mia Lawson; and three great grandchildren.
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