RONALD SLEETH
February 15, 1942 ~ January 6, 2017
A loving, caring and thoughtful father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend has been reunited in Heaven with his wife Louise. After complications he suffered from a fall, Ron passed from this life into eternal life on January 6, 2017.
Ronald Eugene was born to Bertha Mae Rossner in Belleville, Illinois on February 15, 1942. He was legally adopted at the age of 12 by her husband Darl E. Sleeth.
At the age of 17, Ron enlisted with the U.S. Navy. He obtained his GED from the U.S. Armed Forces Institute and became an Electricians Mate Class A. Ron proudly served on the USS Constellation and the USS Intrepid. He was honorably discharged as an EM3.
After serving his country, Ron met his soulmate Louise DeWolf in Portland, OR. They were married on September 14, 1963 and raised 3 daughters - Tammy, Teresa "Teri", and Ronda. In 1985, Ron gained two sons. The first being Marc Pavlitzek, a German foreign exchange student the family had the pleasure of hosting. Marc had been a part of his life ever since. Marc shared that "Ron meant ever so much and I seriously found a father to respect and love the rest of my life." His second "son" Dennis Weissenfluh, came when he proudly walked his daughter Tammy down the aisle on her wedding day.
Ron loved all his grandchildren and was blessed to have lived long enough to have developed deep and lasting bonds and create memories with his grandsons Eric, Ryan and Noah; granddaughter Devyn; and was "Papa Ron" to his great-grandson Carter.
Ron made a career at Airborne Express as a courier driver until he was forced into an early medical retirement. That didn't slow him down; Ron worked as a chauffeur limo driver for a while and had fun doing that.
Retired and living as a snow bird in Yuma, AZ provided Ron the opportunity to serve a term as the president of his homeowners association. Ron continued to stay involved in the maintenance and upkeep of the pool and club house for all to enjoy. Yuma was a great place for him to play a weekly game of horseshoes with the guys, swim, take trips to Mexico, attend classic car shows and play tour guide whenever friends and family visited. He spent his summers back home in the Pacific NW with family.
Ron was a kind hearted and gentle man of God.
Committed to his faith, marriage and family,
he never gave up! Even though he was faced with
many health challenges over the years,
he had developed his own motto:
"I'm gonna LIVE until I die.". Ron did just that.
He enjoyed traveling, camping, fishing, classic car shows, live music, dancing, and time with his family. Ron was an active member of the Vancouver Elks Lodge #823 and an avid supporter and fan of his son Dennis' band, FOG, going to every show he could.
Ron is survived by his sister, Judith Stinson of Riverside, CA; daughters, Tammy and "son" Dennis Weissenfluh of Washougal, WA, Teresa Alessa of Redmond, WA and Ronda Sleeth of Vancouver, WA; his four grandchildren, Eric and Ryan Weissenfluh of Washougal, WA, Devyn Sleeth and Noah Sleeth-Pease of Vancouver, WA; and great-grandson, Carter Weissenfluh of Washougal, WA;
Ron was preceded in death by his parents; and his loving wife of 50 years, Louise.
Please join the family on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at the Vancouver Elks Lodge, 11605 SE McGillivray Blvd. at 2:00 p.m. to honor and celebrate Ron's life, love and friendship. Please bring a potluck dish and your favorite memory or story about Ron to share.
Ron chose to donate his body to science to help others. Any contributions in OUR HERO'S honor can be made to:Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, One Intrepid Square, West 46th Street & 12th Ave., New York, NY 10036 or donate online at: www.fallenheroesfund.org.
Please sign his guest book at: www.columbian.com/obits.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
1 Entry
R.I.P RON GOOD TIMES ON THE RIVER...
kay lamb
February 13, 2017
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