Ronnie was born in Nashville, GA on Monday, September 17, 1934 into the “Silent” generation. Also on this date was the release of the first 33 1/3 rpm recording, and the USSR entered into the League of Nations. Brigitte Bardot was born the same month and also the same month of Babe Ruth's farewell NY Yankee appearance at Yankee Stadium.
Ronnie married Carolyn in 1958 (married 66 years). They had three children, Troy (wife Cindy), Russ, and Rondi (husband Craig). They had 6 grandchildren, Cole, Daryl, Zachary, Alek, Spencer, and Ronnie. They had 2 great grandchildren, so far, Zachary and Calvin. All of whom Ronnie is survived by except for Craig who recently passed.
Ronnie loved his family above all else and put them above all else and always ensured that they had everything that they needed, and made many personal sacrifices to do so.
Ronnie was an active US Marine from 1952 to 1956 and a Marine for life. He would always stop and talk to young Marines and always had a smile and kind words for them. Much like George Bailey, Ronnie had a wonderful life and the world would have been at a tremendous loss if he had not been born. Ronnie was an electrician by trade and worked at Jefferson Smurfit for most if not all of his career until his retirement.
Ronnie loved racing cars. In his retirement, he would watch racing every day that they were on TV. In his early days he would build them with his brother Walt and they would race them in the woods. Tear them up, bring them home and fix them, and do it all over again. Most Saturday nights he was at the local dirt track watching the stock cars or sprint cars and loved to go to the big game, Daytona International Speedway.
Amazingly, he went to an Elvis concert in his early years. You would have never guessed that if you knew him.
Ronnie was 90-years-young on the day of his passing in Jacksonville, FL. We will dearly miss our father, grandfather, great grandfather, dearest husband and friend. May he rest in peace until we see him again.
