Great Uncle Ron will be so missed. He was such a genuine, kind, and generous person and I know these qualities impacted so many lives, mine included. He is the reason that I could go to college and he is one of the main reasons I believed that I *should* go to college. The idea that I might not be able to hack it in school seemed like a ridiculous idea to him, and one that he quickly dismissed. Because of that faith he had in me, I worked extra hard at my studies and did far better than expected. Thanks to his generosity, I had access to opportunities that I might not have had otherwise.
When I think back to when I was growing up, it always felt kind of special going to Uncle Ron's house because, one, I always knew we were going to have a great time, and two, because he was the only person I had ever known to have a houseboat. It always felt like a bit of an adventure because we were so close to the water we could literally reach out and touch it and there was always something cool on the dock for us to explore. There were a couple times that Ron took us out on the little row boat and I remember how peaceful it felt to just float across the water and the thrill from seeing a seal or two poke their little heads out of the water to see what we were doing before diving back down. The whole experience was always so special and unique.
Whenever I think about Ron, I immediately see his smiling face and I can hear his voice and his laughter very clearly. When we got together as a family, we would all be pretty wild and crazy but I remember Ron as always being more tempered than the rest of us (haha!). No matter the situation or circumstances, he was gentle and kind and I'm sure that remained true until the very end. He was always there for the important events, graduations, and family get-togethers and he always came with a smile, ready to share in the excitement.
I will really miss seeing him and spending time with him and will always remember how his kindness impacted my life.
