Ronald Gordon Shoemaker
May 3, 1944 - January 13, 2006
Obituary
Ron Shoemaker died peacefully January 13, 2006. Ron was born in Seattle on May 3, 1944 and was a longtime resident of West Seattle. He was a graduate from Santa Ana High School in Orange County, CA and later attended Highline Community College and the University of Washington.
Ron was a Lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department and served 15 years until his retirement in 1986. He also worked at Holland America Cruise line and retired in 2003 and recently worked part-time at Lowe’s Home Improvement.
Ron loved to travel, spend time with friends and his extended family at his summer home on Hood Canal and work away in his workshop at his home.
Ron is survived by his loving wife and best friend Marilyn, son Christopher and daughter Keri. Other surviving relations are sister and brother-law Leta and Tom Fox, nephews Steven Wardell and Kevin Shoemaker and mother-in-law LaVerne Thorneycroft. A celebration of his life will be held at 12:30pm, Friday January 20th, at BONNEY-WATSON Washington Memorial, 16445 International Blvd., SeaTac, WA 206 242-1787. His family would like to extend an invitation to all who knew and loved him. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Medic One, University Washington Burn Center at Harborview or the Union Gospel Mission.
We had the best father that you could ever ask for. We will miss you very much Dad!
A humorist, friend, father, husband and a man who was truly loved and will be missed.
Ron Shoemaker wasn’t just Chris and Keri’s Dad; Ron was every kid’s Dad in West Seattle. Ron’s love of life and sense of humor will forever live on in all he came into contact with.
How blessed we all are to have known such a great Man, Husband, Father and Friend.
He will be missed dearly.
Marilyn, Keri & Chris.
May God wrap you in his loving arms and comfort you during this time of reflection. His promise of eternal life is now fulfilled for Ron. You are in our thoughts and prayers,
God Bless you, Margie & Jim
Dear Marilyn, Chris and Keri,
Just read in the Seattle Times, Wednesday, January 18th of Ron’s passing. We contacted Leslie immediately. We all grieve with you. We have wonderful memories of you all. Our God is able to comfort those who mourn. When you hurt, we hurt. Please know we love you all and are praying that God will flood you with His peace that surpasses all understanding. God promises us in the Book of Jeremiah 31:13 & 14:
“For I will turn their mourning into joy for their sorrow” … V14 “And my people will be satisfied with My goodness,” declares the Lord.
With our love and care for you,
Most sincerely,
Gene and Linda Hallum
Dear Marilyn, Keri and Chris
We are so saddened by this sudden emptiness and want you to know you all are in my thoughts and prayers. Ron was my partner in crime when we sat together at HAL for 4 years. I will never forget his laugh and great smile.
Keep in touch with the HAL GALS!
Love, Susan and Nigel and Derek too!
Dear Marily, Chris, and Keri,
I am so very saddened by the passing of Ron. He was such a special friend!! I will always remember his great sense of humor and genuine care & concern for others. Ron made HALW a great place to work…he put a smile on my face every day! :
You have been in my thoughts and prayers all week.
Love,
Katy Vann and Robert
To the family and loved ones of Ron, I worked with Ron at Holland America. His sense of humor and wit always made the work day alot more fun. I loved the way that he always freely expressed his love for his wife and kids. Such a great quality. I feel lucky to have met and worked with Ron, and forever will have wonderful and hilarious memories to reflect back on. He will be truly missed. He was one of the “good” ones.
God bless you all, and please take care.
Ronnie,
Was one of my best friends growing up. We lived two doors down from each other on Lowell in Santa Ana. We grew up playing football and baseball together. Together we taught my younger brother how to play football. We would come home after practice in HS and play on my front yard. I can’t count how many times Ronnie broke a toe on a sprinkler and I’d have to drive him to the doctor to get it set. He had a 53 chevy with a stick and I didn’t know how to drive it. It was fun! We graduated from SAHS together and then he moved not long after that back to WA and we lost contact. I have often wondered what happened to him. I am terribly sorry for your families loss and I will miss him.
In sympathy,
Dick Farrell
Dear Marilyn, Chris, and Keri, I am deeply sorry for the loss of your husband and father. I always enjoyed his company and his pleasant personality. He will be surely missed by all. My love and prayers are with you. -Leslie Ballestrasse
Marilyn, Chris and Keri,
I remember how difficult it was when my Dad passed away suddenly. And when I finally came back to work Ron was there to give me a hug – tell me it would be alright and offer whatever help he could. I now extend to you that same offer.
Ron was an amazing character -sometimes a bit of cynic but always good for a laugh. Very much the father figure of our Inside Sales family at HAL.
It does not due justice to say that I will miss him – I already have when he left HAL. More true is to say that the world will always have an empty spot without him here to fill it.
Love and Hugs to you all.
Marilyn, Keri and Chris,
I just wanted to tell you that I am so very sorry for your loss. I have so many great memories at your homemy 2nd home in HS…just being a part of such a wonderful family with one of the greatest dads…You all are in my heart always.
Marilyn, , Chris and Keri, I am thinking of you and very sorry that you have lost Ron. Warren and I enjoyed being your neighbors. I have very fond thoughts of you All. Charlene
Ron was not only my dear friends father – but a friend to all of us “kids”. I know Ron’s quick wit and ability to tell stories lives on in Chris and Keri. We will spend many days and years to come remembering him quoting National Lampoon’s Vacation movies and his stories that would make you double-over in laughter. Until we join you in heaven Ron, keep the other angels laughing! We miss you terribly!
Marilyn, Keri, and Chris,
Since last August I have lost a relative every month and now from my part-time “work family,” I’ve lost Ron. I will miss his sense of humor at those many unplanned lunch breaks. Marilyn, I am so glad that Ron spoke so much about you that we met at Chico’s last month. Keri and Chris, your father was really proud of you. Keri, when your father returned from his vacation in DC last Fall, well, he was really energetic about all of the places that he visited.
In the meantime, God blessed me with some unused vacation this week. I can’t think of a better way to honor Ron so I will be attending his Celebration of Life service on Friday Afternoon.
Peace and Prayers,
Betty Lowe
Marilyn, Chris & Keri:
I am so sorry for your loss. It is hard to know the right thing to say or do; just know that you are all loved and in our thoughts and prayers. Wishing you comfort during this difficult time. Britt & Sylvia Mennen
I send my deepest sympathy to you in your time of need. May you find solace in knowing that the man you knew as husband, father, and friend is always with you, and sitting with the Lord. I have also placed flowers at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial here in Colorado Springs in Ron’s honor. May you be at peace.
Dear Marilyn, Keri, and Chris,
We’re sorry we weren’t able to be with you last Friday. You are in our prayers for God to comfort you, give you peace, and help you move forward. It’s hard to lose someone you love as much as you loved your husband, and your dad. God knows how you feel, and He is ready and willing and able to meet your every need. We entrust you to His care. Love, Ken and Vicky McKim
To all, thanks for your love and support to my family and especially for your prayers and sharing of your love for my darling husband, Ron.
Marilyn
I am so sorry for the loss we all have experienced with the sudden passing of Ron. I am especially sorry for my absence at his service. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Ron. We were nextdoor neighbors growing up in Santa Ana, CA. We became even closer once we re-establised contact after he had moved back to Washington. He will be missed by all who knew him. To Marilyn, Chris and Keri: he loved you all very much and so do I.
Just seeing this MANY years later. Ron and I worked together at Holland America Line. He was SO MUCH FUN! A smile and a kind word always. We started at the same time and went through 6 weeks of training together. I have a great photo of a group of us that went on a fam trip when HAL bought Half Moon Cay. We were the last ones off the island when a big storm was coming in. Great memories, great man!