Ronald Andrew Gill

He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Mary Gill of Johannesburg, South Africa, wife Michele Gill of Sandy Springs, GA, sister Virginia Doig of Toronto, Canada and first wife Geraldine Gill-Hulbert of Knysna, South Africa.

He is survived by his daughter Deborah Williams of Cape Town, South Africa, his daughter Fiona Craddock and her husband Colin of Alpharetta GA, his son Peter Gill and his wife Tracey of Brisbane, Australia; his nine grandchildren: Nicholas Williams (Cape Town, South Africa), Kyle Williams (Richmond, VA), Cara Craddock (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Rachel Williams (Nagoya, Japan), Justin Williams (Cape Town, South Africa), Claire Craddock (Sandy Springs, GA), Darren Craddock (Alpharetta, GA), Duncan Gill (Brisbane, Australia) and Connor Gill (Brisbane, Australia), their spouses & significant others; unborn great-granddaughter due in Jan 2024; and his three nieces, Katrine Milner, Isabel Pedersen and Brenda Doig, and their families of Toronto, Canada.

Ronald (Ron) was born on June 14, 1933 and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. He graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in the early 1950s. After graduation, he moved to London, England to start his career as a chemical engineer. While living in London, he met his first wife Geraldine (Gerry). They moved back to South Africa, married in June 1958 and had three children, Deborah, Fiona and Peter. During his time in South Africa, he worked in management roles for SAPPI, a pulp and paper manufacturer, in Johannesburg, Mandini and Port Elizabeth. Ron and Gerry amicably parted ways in 1971.

He met his second wife Michele, an American, while traveling in Spain and Portugal in mid-1973. They married in Johannesburg, South Africa in January 1974 where they lived until July 1977 when they moved to the US. In the US, he worked for Kimberly-Clark, in management roles in California, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Massachusetts before finally moving to Atlanta, GA in 1983. Ron and Michele were longtime residents of Sandy Springs. Ron retired early, in 1989, at the age of 56 to pursue his lifelong hobbies: duplicate contract bridge and investing in the stock market. He was a long-standing member of the Marietta Bridge Club and the Atlanta Technical Analysis Society.

In his younger years, he was an excellent swimmer, golfer and tennis player. He was very proud of the fact that he played in the first two rounds of Wimbledon in the mid-1950s. He was also well known for his keen intellect. He was an avid chess and bridge player. He played for the South African correspondence chess team against Italy in the 1960s and became a Life Master in bridge in the 1980s. He had a great wit and his family has fond memories of him laughing at his own jokes or a funny story. He loved history, classical music and in his younger days, theater and dancing.

In the last few months before his death, with his family scattered across the globe, he was very fortunate to have spent time with his daughter Deborah and his son, Peter and daughter-in-law, Tracey who traveled from South Africa and Australia, respectively to be with him as well as all of his US-based family, daughter Fiona and son in law Colin and his grandchildren Kyle, Cara, Claire and Darren. His memory will be cherished by his family and friends.