Ronald Walter Smith December 13, 1952- approx. March 9, 2017
My beloved brother and friend passed away unexpectedly. He lived life with enthusiasm, courage, intelligence, and tenacity after surviving a traumatic head injury in 1982. He was a marvelous listener and friend to many – taking pride when, for friends and neighbors, he repaired equipment, tuned lawn mowers, cut lawns or helped them in countless ways.
For me he was a constant, always there for me. He was a willing and enthusiastic companion on trips to yurts and forest service cabins, to Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, and Olympic Peninsula, and to many of Canada’s National Parks in Alberta and British Columbia. Let’s not forget his and my love of coffeehouses, dogs, and walks along the river and in the foothills.
I will miss him every day. Each and every one of my and his friends will miss him. He was a good soul. He is survived by his sister, Mary, his brother, George, and his daughter, Jessica.
12 Comments
Dear Mary, Your close bond with your brother on so many levels including helper, friend, companion, adventurer, mutual supporter of one another, is such a rare gift that you shared. It is a tribute to you and Ron since your road is not easy. Ron is the kind of gentle and patient soul with whom we are only blessed once or twice in a lifetime. Please know I grieve with you and am just a call or email away at any time for anything. Love, Cheryl
Ron inevitably brightened any room he entered. He was a kind and patient listener, whether at coffee or at a holiday table. Ron was such a great listener that it was easy to overlook what an inquiring mind he had and how knowledgeable he was about many subjects, I.e. history. I will miss Ron as a bright, dependable light which has now, suddenly, gone out.
Through Mary, I became acquainted with Ron when he came to do repairs at my home. He helped me in countless ways, and our relationship evolved into friendship. Eventually Ron became a friend to my son and his daughter as well. We mourn the loss of our kind, stalwart friend.
We will always remember Ron for his kindness, smile and cheerful personality. He helped us immensely
mowing our lawn with great care for many years and we thank him. Our Wednesday coffee get-togethers
will not be the same without him. He will be missed.
Dearest Mary, I am blessed reading your description of your brother Ron as a faithful and loving companion in so many meaningful ways. I can imagine the two of you roaming through beautiful natural areas, remarking on the vast sky and the birds you may have encountered along the way, Ron would have shared your affection for your wonderful doggies and appreciated your time together. I pray that over time the pain of loss will ebb and the warm memories will fill your heart. Sending my love……
Although I didn’t know Ron as well as some of Mary’s other friends, all my encounters with him left me with the same impression of his quiet strength, his natural dignity, his gracious interest in others, his openness to and ability to abide in the present moment and his unfailing kindness. The rest of what I know about Ron came from Mary’s accounts of their travels together, their Sunday coffee dates, the movies they enjoyed together, joint projects accomplished and the many other ways their lives touched and complemented each other’s. Ron’s passing is a tremendous loss as it extinguished a bright light and took a truly good soul from this world.
Mary, such a beautiful tribute to your brother, my neighbor. I appreciated seeing the pictures and remembering how much time you two spent together. Ron and I are old timers in the neighborhood. Ron was my “go to” for repairs. He did odd jobs for me and his work was beyond perfect. If Ron’s garage door was open, you could count on a lively conversation. Ron took it upon himself to keep our community looking nice. Every winter in freezing weather, Ron was outside opening our street drains so we would not get flooded. My friend, you were a delight to know and you are greatly missed.
Ron, truly will be missed by all, especially his Villa neighbors. He always had a smile on his face and always eger to engage in conversation. He worked tiresomely in keeping our drains open during the winter,and helped some of the single women in our complex. He was an ANGEL in disguise!!!!!
Ron was a wonderful neighbor who went out of his way to help others. He made such a difference in our neighborhood. He always showed kindness and interest in others and greeted everyone with a smile. He once chased my runaway dog up and down the street for me when she escaped the yard while I was gone. I’ll always be grateful to him for rescuing her. He was a very special person. My thoughts are with his family and friends as they cope through this difficult time. Ron was there for all of us at the Villas- please let us know if we can be there to help now.
Ron was a great neighbor. If he was working in his garage I could always count on a smile and a wave every morning as I left for work.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
The Villas just won’t be the same without his bright smile.
Ron was one of the kindest people to be around. He was very soft spoken and would brighten a room with his wonderful smile . It was a pleasure to be his friend. He is missed in our hearts.
I met Ron when I moved next door to him 3 1/2 years ago. It took all of a minute to realize there was going to be a friendship as time passed. When he realized I was a disabled, senior vet, he began helping with the heavy chores. My disability causes me to fall occasionally; he helped me up if he was nearby. I was hit by a car in 8/2015. I left my house unlocked, and he would ring the doorbell, knock and open it a crack to announce his presence. He would heat up a meal for me, do my shopping, and just about anything I needed. He let me use his little red wagon (a Radio Flyer) to transport a few heavier things if I could. His sister Mary presented it to me, along with a garden shovel; reminders of my friend. He and I would have coffee and great donuts at the Pastry Perfection, then over to Walmart for shopping. I feel no one will move in quite as nice as my dear friend Ron.
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