Ronald W. Russell Sr.

February 6, 1949 - June 28, 2018

Ronald W. Russell Sr., age 69, of Lorain passed away on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at his home following a brief illness. He was born on February 6, 1949 in West Columbia, West Virginia to Lawrence and Beatrice (nee Belle) Russell. Ronald was drafted by the United States Army in 1968 and served his country at the rank of SP-4 in the Vietnam War. While serving he was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge (1ST> OLC), National Defense Service Medal, and the Marksmanship Badge (Rifle). Ronald was honorably discharged on April 9, 1974. He worked as a Shipping and Receiving Manager for 17 years at US Steel he then moved to Florida in 1987 with his family where he began his own roofing company “Ron’s Roofing”. In 1991 he and his family returned to Lorain where he began working as a manager at Dixie Pipe Sales, retiring in 2009. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He enjoyed gardening, going to the scrap yards, fishing, hunting with his good friend, Herb Zielke, watching wrestling matches on television and was an avid Cleveland sports fan but also held onto his roots following the West Virginia Mountaineers. He loved spending time with his grandchildren. Ronald is survived by his wife of 51 years, Christina (nee Bryan); son, Ronald W. (Jackie) Russell, of Lorain; daughters, Melissa (Albert) Rector, of Lorain, and Rhonda (Joe) Arendt, of Lorain; grandchildren, Amanda, Alexis, and Austin Arendt, Cole Rector, Hayley and Audra Russell; brothers, Robert (Kathy) Russell Sr., and Joseph (Karen) Russell; and sisters, Donna (JR) Schwartz, and Carolyn Roush, and Patricia (Dennis) Knapp. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Beatrice Russell; brother, Lawrence Eugene Russell; sisters, Josephine Belle Van Meter, and Dorothy Russell; and his brothers-in-law, Lynn Roush, and Wood Goose Van Meter. The family will receive friends on Sunday, July 1, 2018 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst where funeral services will be held on Monday, July 2nd. at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Barbara Pryor will officiate. Private family interment will take place. Contributions may be made in memory of Ronald to Mercy New Life Hospice, 3500 Kolbe Road, Lorain, OH 44053 or to any Veterans Organization of your choosing. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dovinreberjones.com