Rondal Louis Gossmer

Rondal Gossmer passed away on May 20, 2025 at the age of 85, resiliently and positively surviving the most challenging health conditions over the past several years. Ron is survived by his wife, Peggy; his children, Kimberly (Tim) Jones and Cynthia (Greg) Herweg; his stepchildren, Michelle Green, Jennifer Marquez, and Brian (Jennifer) Wilson; his grandchildren, Trevor, Matthew, Kaia, Kaitlyn, Abigail, Audrey, Autumn, Mason, Mya, Garrit, Tyler, and Dylan; and many nieces and nephews. Ron is preceded in death by his only sister, Anna Formby, his parents, Bernard Ray Gossmer and Irene Eckhart (Scott), a son, Craig Gossmer, and a grandson, Anthony Green.

Ron was born and spent his early childhood in Owensboro, Kentucky. The family moved to Michigan where he graduated from Harvey Lowrey High School in Dearborn, Class of 1957. Ron excelled in football as a halfback, at baseball as a center fielder and .372 hitter, and ran track. He was also a member of Dearborn’s National Class A Amateur baseball team which won a national championship. Ron briefly attended Lawrence Institute of Technology in Michigan, focusing on engineering education, where he was the freshman class President. In 1958 at the age of 19, Ron was signed to a minor league farm team of the San Francisco Giants called The Hastings Baseball Club of the Nebraska State League. He would often reminisce about the days he played there with José Tartabull. He played in 58 games, but his baseball career was cut short due to a shoulder injury.

Ron moved to California in the early ‘60s and spent the remainder of his life primarily in Orange County. He had an entrepreneurial spirit and worked in space research as an engineering consultant, started a dog grooming business, managed a factory for Hughes Aircraft Company, and coached youth girls softball. He founded American Fastpitch Association in 1980, a non-profit corporation for the benefit of girls fastpitch softball, which later added adult slow pitch softball in 2008. He was still running the company after 45 years. Ron also had several businesses with his wife Peggy for the last 27 years. They ran a city sports park in San Clemente, owned a restaurant in San Clemente, and owned and managed rental real estate.

Ron enjoyed sailing, bowling and traveling. He lived every day with a smile, a positive attitude, and a zest for life. He loved to meet and talk with anyone and everyone. He was very adventurous - from racing sailboats to Catalina, zip lining in Alaska, swimming with sharks in Tahiti, and piranha fishing in the Amazon. He loved taking cruises, and if his health had allowed it, he would be on one today.

His pride and joy were his children, stepchildren, grandchildren and his wife. He was so proud of all of them and loved to tell anyone who would listen.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation of your time and love to your family. Do something special, a hug for no reason, a few more I love you’s. Step out of your routine and enjoy the gift of life with the ones you love.