Ronald Jonathan Simmons

SIMMONS, Ronald Jonathan, Richmond has lost a model citizen, who left us on Thanksgiving Day after several months of battling renal cancer. Ronald grew up in Oyster Bay, Long Island, where he attended Oyster Bay High School and established himself as a talented student-athlete. He earned a scholarship to attend Hamilton College in upstate N.Y., where he graduated with a degree in public policy, played basketball and established school records in track and field, some of which still stand today. Upon graduation Ronald joined Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker until beginning a string of entrepreneurial exploits. After working with his family business, selling real estate and renovating real estate, Ronald decided to come to Richmond Virginia to establish and run a collection of companies including Cadworks Engineering Incorporated, Cadworks Industrial and Cadworks Management, a multi-faceted engineering support group that provided on-site Staffing/Human Resources and in-house engineering services for the management, design and construction of architectural, mechanical, electrical and civil projects. Cadworks serviced the Richmond, Virginia engineering community as well as national companies for 14 years. Cadworks received several small business accolades including Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. While continuing his post-graduate studies in several business development courses, Ron also assisted in the development of several Richmond businesses by mentoring and consulting. He joined the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council, where he was an active board member of the VMSDC. Ron's entrepreneurial spirit led him to purchase and operate Barracuda Waterworks, a speedboat and water-ski Rental Company in Florida. He later went on to work with Cello Development Corporation as Vice President of the Richmond Digital Scanning Division. This, while Ron stayed involved with coaching girls' basketball, coaching track and taking up woodworking, golf and cooking. His business acumen allowed him to move freely within the Richmond Virginia Business community. He was an active member of Leadership Metro Richmond. His many friends prove that he valued friendship just as important as business relationships. Ron leaves behind a large family. Most notably his mother and father, Hilda and Jonathan Simmons; his three children, Rebecca, Nicholas and Sabrina, his two brothers, Karl and Abraham Simmons; several aunts, uncles and cousins and his wife, Marjan.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.