Ronald N. Williams

Ron Williams, of Springfield, Ohio, passed away Thursday, December 8, 2016 following heart surgery. Ron had a life-long love affair with nature, growing up in Yellow Springs, Ohio with Glen Helen Nature Preserve as his playground. Ron was extremely knowledgeable about flora and fauna, and he loved to share outdoor walks, canoe trips and Sunday morning picnics with Fern, his devoted wife of over 62 years. Ron and Fern met as fellow Buckeyes at Ohio State University, where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Sigma Alpha Delta Honor Society. They met at a "Broom" dance where Fern traded a broom for the opportunity to dance with her future beloved. Ron wooed her with the promise that if she’d stick with him, they’d have a wonderful life. Ron was a man of his word! After a honeymoon year in Colorado Springs (courtesy of the US Army), Ron and Fern moved to Michigan where he put his journalism degree to use as the assistant editor of the employee newspaper at Dow Chemical Company in Midland. While there, they welcomed daughters, Gail and Marla. Ron later found his true calling as the executive officer for Board of Realtor organizations in Appleton, Wisconsin, Omaha, Nebraska and finally Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ron was a member of Kiwanis International for over fifty years, having served as President of his Ann Arbor club and proudly achieving 27 years of perfect attendance. Ron also delivered Motor Meals for 35 years and served on the Board of Directors of that organization. He was an avid reader, and his passions included geography, woodworking, photography, sailing, bird watching, golf and anything lime-flavored. Ron is survived by his wife, Fern, brother Douglas (Sharon) Williams of San Antonio, TX, daughters Gail (Kent) VanderKolk of Fairborn, OH and Marla (Nobuhito) Ushijima of San Francisco, CA, five grandchildren: Megan (Tom) Malone of Dublin, OH, Melody VanderKolk of Swaziland, Miles (Emilie) VanderKolk of Dayton, OH, Jhayi Ushijima and Itaka Ushijima, both of San Francisco, CA and great-granddaughter Violet Malone. A memorial service will be held at Central Christian Church, 1504 Villa Road, Springfield, Ohio on Wednesday, December 21 at 11:00 a.m., with visitation starting at 10:00 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Central Christian Church.