Ron will forever be remembered as being the target of Mr. Georgikis' expletive every day in Algebra: "gonzalak, I give you jug!" He was a great basketball player and was on the 1968 Lightweight Catholic League Championship team
Dr. Ron received a Doctorate in Education from U of Illinois and was a school superintendent for many years.
Anyone who had seen or talked to Ron in the last 5 years would have bet a lot of money that he would around a lot longer.
He was still pitching in a hardball men's league and his only gripe was that they would only let him pitch 6 innings.
He was an active coach for his daughter's softball team and was activley working as a trainer.
He loved his children.
He and his 4some finished in a tie for 1st at the last Mendel Alumni outing and we had a great time at dinner.
Ron has his Mendel gym brick, his Mendel 1968 cap and a piece of the odd gym floor.I hope he told his kids what these things meant to him.
We all had the great benefit of many years of Ron's friendship.
One of the funnier stories that Ron told was finally getting even with the Band Director at Mendel who tried to tell Ron and the baseball team that their errant fly balls or overthrows were a disturbance to the His Band and would not be tolerated. Many years later that Band Director was lucky enough to report to Ron when he was an Asst Superintendent. Ron thought of many interesting ways to let good old Geno, the Band Director know that he had a very good memory.
Chicago Sun Times obituary ran on September 1st and is reprinted below.
