Ronald Paul Botterbusch

Ronald Paul Botterbusch, a cherished husband, brother, and friend, passed on Saturday, June 8, following a long illness. He was 74.

Ron was born on July 21, 1949, in York, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Central York High School in 1967. During high school Ron was the drummer for a popular local band named The Magnificent Men. Ron went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. During his college days, Ron was a disc jockey at a Huntington radio station.

After graduation from Marshall in 1971, Ron moved to Clearwater, Florida where he worked as a Mall Manager at Sunshine Mall. Ron relocated to Troy, Michigan in 1976 to manage Meadowbrook Village Mall for Robert B. Aikens & Associates and met his wife, Jennie Chiotti. They were married on May 21, 1983, in Dallas, Texas at Highland Park United Methodist Church on the SMU campus.

Ron’s career with land development and real estate management companies took him many places. There was a brief move to Pennsylvania where Ron opened the Freight House Shops in downtown Pittsburgh before returning to Robert B. Aikens as a Leasing Agent. Ron moved to Dallas, Texas with The Herring Group as their Peripheral Land Director before coming to Montgomery, Alabama in 1985 as the Peripheral Land Director for Jim Wilson & Associates. Ron became known as the “Duke of Dirt” and in 1991 Ron founded his own successful commercial real estate broker company, R B Commercial Properties.

Ron was an avid recreational sailor and captained many excursions on the Great Lakes, Florida Gulf Coast, British Virgin Islands and a round trip voyage to Santa Catalina Island from San Diego. Along with sailing, Ron’s other passion was his Harley Davidson motorcycle. Ron’s love of biking included rides to Sturgis, Wyoming, Montana, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, Continental Divide, with solo trips from Montgomery to Las Vegas and another to San Diego. The East coast included the Blue Ridge Parkway to Skyline Parkway, Myrtle Beach up the coast through the Outer Banks, into Virginia and on to West Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Ron was a volunteer Meals on Wheels driver for a number of years and always enjoyed chatting with the many homebound recipients he delivered meals to. He was also a former member of the Montgomery Rotary Club and recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award for his community contributions.

Ron will be remembered by his wife of 41 years, Jennie, brother, Duane Botterbusch (Karen) of Gettysburg, PA; foster brother, John Negley (Lorraine) of Debary FL; nephew, Benjamin Botterbusch of York, PA, in-laws, Carol Chiotti, Caseville, MI; John and Donna Chiotti, Caseville, MI; niece, Juli Chiotti, Phoenix, AZ and his many friends and colleagues.

He was preceded in death by his parents Samuel and Doris Botterbusch, grandparents John and Mary Dettinger all of York, PA.

There will be an informal wake held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, at The Capitol City Oyster Bar, Montgomery Marina, 617 Shady Street, Montgomery.

Please make a donation in Ron’s memory to Montgomery Humane Society, MANE of Montgomery, Meals on Wheels or your own favorite charity. Donations may be made on their websites.