Ronald L. Van Aernum

Ronald Lee Van Aernum was born on May 10,1931 in Romulus, Michigan to Grant and Gladys Van Aernum. He was the 3rd of five children, being younger brother to Virgilene and Keith, and older to twin sisters Joan and Jean. Being an avid sports fan, Ron played football and basketball as well as, sang in the choir before graduating from Romulus High in 1949. On scholarship, he attended Lawrence Institute of Technology before securing a job at Ford Motor Company for which he stayed until entering the Navy in 1952.

Naval Air Station in Oceana, VA is where he honed his photography skills and served until the end of the Korean Conflict before returning home. It was during his enlistment he met and married his first wife Sophia Germanis, with whom they welcomed daughters Gail and Kathryn. After his military service, they returned to Sophia’s hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan. While working at Ford Motor, he used his GI Bill to attend Cleary College where he received a BBA in accounting and from there graduated with a Master of Science degree Administrative Science from Wayne State University.

In 1967, Ron became a systems analyst with Control Data Corp. (CDC) in Southfield, Michigan where he held positions such as programmer, consultant, and branch manager. He remained at the CDC Southfield site until 1978 when he was assigned as an industry fellow to work in the ICAM program alongside the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.

After relocating to Wichita, Kansas in 1980, he continued with the ICAM project at Boeing Military Aircraft Company and a now single Ron soon found Marjorie. The two exchanged vows in 1985 and they followed his career to Dayton, OH and Sacramento, CA. Upon his retirement in 1996, the pair relocated back to Wichita to be near Marjorie's children.

Ron found his new blended family to be just that, family. He and Marge traveled through most of the U.S. traveling to see and visit their children and grandchildren. And if he had down time, you often found him on a golf course, eating a good steak, and supporting the Michigan Wolverines. Ron spent his whole 90 years living! GO BLUE!

He is preceded in death by his parents, two siblings and his first wife Sophia. Survived by his loving wife of 35 years Marjorie, daughters Gail (Greg) Barnes, Kathryn (Kati) Van Aernum (Columbia, SC), step-children Kristi (Brad) McCune (Rose Hill, KS), Bradley D. (Kari) McCune (Manhatten, KS), Brent McCune (Olathe, KS) and Kara Norby (Wichita, KS) sisters Jean Krueger (Romulus, MI) and Joan Moomaw (Westland, MI), one granddaughter Alison Tisaranni (Germantown, MD), six step-grandchildren, three great granddaughters and seven step-great grandchildren.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held Monday, August 16, 2021, at 10:30 AM at Lakeview Funeral Home & Cemetery 12100 E. 13th St. N., Wichita, KS 67206. Eulogy will be given by Celebrant Cyndi Pearce.

Contributions in Ron's memory may be made to Good Shepherd, 7829 E. Rockhill St., #403, Wichita, Kansas 67206; and Catholic Care Center, 6550 E. 45th St. N., Bel Aire, Kansas 67226 US.