Ronald Cheatham



Ronald Cheatham was born on June 24, 1951.  He died March 20, 2020



How we met

 Ron and I first met in 1990 while he was working the visitors lounge at the Gary Job Corp. I was picking up a young lady at the Job Corp to take her to church. Not, long after that initial introduction we soon became friends and later brothers in Christ. Thus, began a relationship that lasted for 30 years.   I am George Slover, the evangelist for the San Marcos church of Christ.  It is an honor to be asked to help with the memorial for my friend and brother, Ronald Cheatham. 



Never Met a Stranger 



Conversationalist

One thing about Ron, he never met a stranger. He was always so friendly. I am convinced that is one reason why we quickly became friends, is because he was always so easy to talk to. After we met at the job corps, we later began meeting once a week for coffee, a taco and primarily for a Bible study. However, often the conversations would turn to other matters. We talked about everything from vitamin supplements, the multi level marketing, to some scheme that Ronald had come up with for making extra money, coin collecting, TV repair.  I later discovered that his broad knowledge of so many topics was due to his frequent visit to the local library.    One thing for certain we were never ran out of a topics, mainly because Ron just had the gift of gab. It was also during those meetings at local coffee shops and Taquerias that I met many of Ron‘s friends that he had met in the community. Ron just seemed to be everybody’s friend.



I also learned about his early days in high school. I found out that we had both played the trombone in the high school band. However, Ron gave up the band to join the football team. He was determined that he was going to help the San Marcos Rattlers defeat their arch rival the Seguin Matadors. As I recall, Ron was selected as an all  district defensive lineman because of those two years of high school football. He then left home to play for a small college in Las Vegas New Mexico on a scholarship. This is when I also learned a lot about Ron‘s character. He told me there was a lot of corruption on the team. Because of that he became disenchanted, gave up his career in football and returned home to San Marcos. He had planned to attend Southwest Texas State University, but instead accepted a position at the Gary Job corps.  He also took on the task of taking care of his mother.



Humor

Ron also had a great sense of humor. Expectedly, days in a care facility were not his best days. Quite frankly there were times when he was pretty down about the situation. But, there was one occasion when I found out that his son Joseph had purchased him a Google box. I walked in the room and he was playing Alan Jackson. He looked up at me and said the ladies really love me around here because I can play Alan Jackson on my Google box. And we just laughed. By the way Joseph, I asked your dad to play the Aggie war him for me on that Google box to which he conceded, but after that he played the University of Texas fight song. And again we just laughed. He also enjoyed coming our occasional potluck dinners, and to the Christmas party Nancy and I hosted each December. 



Great Mentor and Counselor for Young Folks

1) Disciplinarian - big man.  Don’t mess with him. Could be intimidating. I can only a imagine that he could be a beast!  Although, I saw the gentle side of Ron. 



2) Career and Life Counselor

There is no telling how many young men and women he mentored in the job corps. He spoke often of the camping trips and other opportunities afforded him to influence young lives for the better.  The job corps also hired students from the University. And during their short tenure, Ron would try to advise them about life, and their career. He told me story after story of how tried to help young men and women make good decisions in their life. 



Anna Kay:  one of the young ladies at church offered her reflections: 



I’ve known Ron most of my life, and he was always a great friend and brother in Christ for as long as I can remember. He’d have a smile and was always in good spirits anytime I saw him. He was my “birthday buddy” (June 24th). Ron genuinely cared for others. He was so kind to my family and me and even went out of his way to give gifts to my two children. No matter what was going on with him, he always wanted to know what was going on in our lives. We loved listening to his stories about playing football in New Mexico and his trip to Hawaii to play. He had a wonderful sense of humor and always left us with a smile. We miss him dearly, and he will always have a special place in our hearts. ❤️



Good Samaritan 



1) He spent many years taking care of his mother, including her weekly trip for dialysis during the latter part of her life. I will never forget that one Christmas morning, I received a phone call from Ron telling me that early that morning his mom had passed away.   



2) Ron loved his son Joseph and tried to guide him in the right direction. I’m sure Joseph would tell you that he wasn’t a perfect father. I don’t know of such a man.  But I do know that he loved his son, and tried his best to raise him in the right way.  In addition to his work at Job Corps, he threw a paper route to help pay the bills. Joesph, I’m sure that he greatly appreciated your love and care for him during the last few days of his life.   Joseph, he told me on one occasion that you asked him when he was going to get the car air conditioner fixed. He said it is fixed just roll down the window and you will feel it when we get moving. Another example of a sense of humor.



3) Another example of being a good Samaritan was when personal computers  finally became popular.  Ron took an interest in them. He would go to flea-market’s and buy old computers and computer parts. He would then build or repair computers for friends. He even built me a computer. And spoke of the many times he repaired someone else’s.



4) Ron was also an excellent mechanic. And on several occasions he would work on my car for me. On one occasion I told him that the electric window on the driver side was not working. I went to the parts house and found the motor that we needed and we spent all of one morning installing the new motor in the door. 



5) Community service helping out at the book fare at the local library, and involvement  in the Explorer Scout Troop, and countless other ways he served his neighbors. 



His Conversion 

One day while I visiting Ron at the job corps I noticed that he was reading the Bible. I remarked to him that he was reading from a good book to which he agreed. He said I’ve got some problems in my life and I’m looking for answers. I told him the Bible was best place in the world to look for those answers. I offered that day to study with him on a regular basis, but he refused. After gaining confidence in each other and our friendship had developed,  finally he agreed to a study. He told me several times later that the reason he initially refused on the first offer was  because he thought I was going to try to sell him one of those books. He said he was impressed by the fact that when we finally scheduled our first study, we just simply opened the Bible. It wasn’t long after that first study, I believe it was 1991 when Ron decided to obey the Lord in baptism to have his sins washed away by the blood of Jesus. 



The story reminds me of a story found in the Bible in Acts chapter 8,  of an Ethiopian who is riding in a chariot and reading from the old testament. Philip an evangelist joined that Ethiopian in the chariot. The Holy Spirit records that story for us: 



Acts 8:27-38: So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”  And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.



 It was through those initial studies that Ron found the forgiveness that is found in the blood of Jesus. And just like that Ethiopian, Ron said : “ see here is water what hinders me from being baptized?”  That very day, just like the Ethiopian 2000 years ago, I baptized Ron into Christ to have all his sins washed away. That was just the beginning of several Bible studies that we would enjoy together over the next many years.



Brother in Christ 



1) Bible student.  As a new brother in Christ Ron wanted to learn more about the Lord.  Until the time he can no longer drive, Ron and I met each week for taco, coffee, and Bible study. He wanted to know as much as he could about the Lord’s will for his life.



2) Sharing the Lord 

Ron also wanted to share the Lord with others. On one occasion he started bringing a young lady to our studies that had serious personal problems including an addiction to alcohol. We used our time with her sharing the Scriptures with her and praying that the Lord would help her with her addiction.  



Promise of God 



God offers great hope and assurance for his children. The word of God says:



Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16-18



That is a very comforting passage. Its was hard to watch Ron’s body lose its strength.  I started noticing that he was having a really hard time getting out of the car, on those mornings when we would meet for our study. It really concerned me, but I had no idea that there was a horrible disorder working on Ron’s body. Then, I found out that he had been hospitalized, and the final diagnosis was the debilitating disease of multiple sclerosis. God has never promised us that we would have perfect health in this world. But, he has promised that when one gives his life to the Lord, there is hope for him in a place where one will never die and can enjoy God forever.



Paul then adds: 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life....

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.



Ron, you were my brother and I will never forget you. One day I look forward to joining you in heaven around the throne of God to sing his praises forever. Ron was far from being the perfect man. Just like all the rest of us he was marred by a sin broken world. But, God promises that if we will receive the blood of Jesus, do the best we can to serve him the rest of our life, one day we can receive an eternal crown.

Ronald Eugene Cheatham

Born: June 24th, 1951 San Marcos, TX

Died: March 20th, 2020 Austin, TX

Attended Dunbar School, Graduate of San Marcos High School

Attended New Mexico Highlands University

35-Year Tenure at Gary Job Corps

Ron Cheatham departed this life in the five o’clock hour on the evening of Friday March 20th, 2020. He fought a valiant decade long struggle against Multiple Sclerosis, but the big man finally succumbed and is at eternal rest now. Due to the quarantine, Ronald was allowed one family member present when he passed away. And with use of a smartphone, family and friends were able to say goodbye. Our Dad, baby Brother and Uncle Ron was at peace when he expired to a recording of “Amazing Grace” sung by Alan Jackson.

In life, Ron could be considered an autodidact. He was “podcasting” his broad spectrum of esoteric knowledge with friends and family well before the internet. In addition to his indefatigable hustle and his gift of gab, Ron was also an avid listener with both an attentive and empathetic ear. Trust, honesty and compassion are what Ronald Cheatham represented to all he knew and loved.

Given our current world crisis, Ronald Cheatham’s family ask that you all keep yourselves safe and healthy by complying with CDC standards of quarantine. We long to connect with old friends and family in this time of loss and confusion and we will seek you out when the restrictions have been lifted…But please, no pop-in visits right now. We have vulnerable elderly family members who need to remain isolated. Hopefully, on Ron’s birthday (6/24/2020) we will all get together for a memorial ceremony and celebrate the 68 robust years of his life. If we cannot, then there will be a live-streamed memorial.