Ronald Leonard Aho

Ronald Leonard Aho, passed away peacefully at his home in Clinton, MD on October 14, 2020 from complications due to cancer, at the age of 57. He is survived by his husband and partner of 23 years, Sean Wallace, his father Leonard Aho, his Aunt, Joyce Erb, his biological sister, Lisa Mathews, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Even though he lived on the other side of the country, his family was never far away from his thoughts and he cherished them dearly

Born in Seattle, WA on August 22, 1963, Ron was adopted by Leonard Aho and LaVae Naylor at the age of 7. Leonard and LaVae welcomed Ron with open arms the day of his adoption.

Cousin Kylie remembered the day when the case worker brought Ron to Leonard and LaVae's house.

“I think it was Valentine's Day. Zane and I were the first cousins to meet him. Then we had my dad's birthday party (Loren Tompkins) and Ron ate 4 plates of my Mom's (Shirley Tompkins) goulash. I had never seen a child eat like that. “

Kylie remembered all the birthdays, holidays, and gatherings.

Ron was baptized into the Lutheran faith in Renton, Washington. He became an accomplished piano player, and sang in school plays and church. Leonard worked many long hours to put him through college. Then in January, 1989 his Mom passed. It was a big loss for Leonard as well as Ron.

March of 2004 Ron emailed his Dad: ‘I love you very much and am very glad that I got to be adopted by you and Mom. If it wasn’t for you both, I don't think I would have gotten the opportunity to accomplish all the things that I’ve done. It's something I've realized by being here on the East Coast and watching people here. A lot of them don't have the opportunities that I had while growing up, being in high school, singing in choir, going to college. Being able to sing at Lincoln Center in New York and working for an awesome company like Microsoft, I know Dad and Mom made things available to me and I want Dad to know I appreciate it all. But most of all I appreciate the Love! ‘ ”

In 1995, Ron was blessed with meeting his biological sister, Lisa Mathews. Even though they were separated for almost 25 years, they worked hard re-establishing their familial bond. Lisa was fortunate enough to spend time with Ron during his final days in hospice.

He met Sean in Seattle in 1997 and they lived in Sammamish, WA until leaving for North Carolina in 2002. They loved Greensboro, NC, but the Lord had other plans for them and they moved up to Washington, DC in 2005, where they built their life over the last 15 years. In 2019, they married in a beautiful ceremony on the Chesapeake Bay, surrounded by their many friends and family.

Ron ended his career, working for the Federal Financing Bank at the Treasury Department, where he was respected and admired by co-workers, associates, and clients. He was lauded for his attention to detail and accuracy, as well as a deep understanding of the FFB system and how to refine its processes. Ron was a true asset who contributed immensely to helping grow the team, and client knowledge.

Ron truly loved colors and design, he decorated their house in WA and created a pond for the backyard, as well as built a retaining wall for the front yard of their house in MD. He also enjoyed cake decorating and developing desserts. However, his true passion was for his comic books and his Disney Art, collecting the former since childhood and the latter as a young adult. Ron was truly loved by Sean, his family and those who knew him. His calm and steady nature will be missed as well as his sense of humor and genuine warmth. We know that Ron has returned to his beloved Washington state and he is resting happily now with his mother and Uncle Jack.

“In remembrance of Ron. I'm sure he is with the Lord and Mom at this time. Ron was a very compassionate child toward all life. I remember a fishing trip, where Ron caught a legal sized fish. Immediately he wanted to return it to the water, although I was reluctant, he said "Please let him go free" I said, "okay." On that same day he caught a frog, named it Freddy. We made the frog a habitat in a fish aquarium. Ron brought it to school for show and tell. At that time after bringing Freddy back home he said "Let's free Freddy" so we drove and found a very suitable pond to say "Good Bye". Like Freddy, now it is my turn to set Ron free and say "Good Bye"~ Love Dad