RONALD AUSBROOKS

1942 - 2020

AUSBROOKS Dr. Ronald Lawrence Ausbrooks, MSW, MSPH, Ed.D On October 13, 2020, Dr. Ronald Lawrence Ausbrooks entered into eternal rest. He was born in Washington, DC on February 20, 1942 to the late Abraham Adolphus and Nina Mae (Parker) Ausbrooks. His is a story filled with a genuine concern and love of humanity expressed through his activism as a change agent for human rights with an unsurpassed ability to socially engage and connect with people. Ron was educated in the D.C. public schools, having graduated from Dunbar Junior High School and Cardozo Senior High. He also attended D.C. Teachers College and Howard University. He then continued his studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where in 1971 he earned a Master of Social Work degree. In 1972 Ron took a commission in the Commissioned Corp of the U.S. Public Health Service and became a U.S. Public Health Service Officer. He continued his education and went on to earn a Master of Science in Public Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1973 and in 1983 he would earn a Doctor of Education with a concentration in Mental Health Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Prior to his service in the Commissioned Corp, Ron was deeply involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960's and in many of the progressive community outreach activities of the St. Augustine Catholic Church. He was an active member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and had worked for both Vista and the Peace Corp. Later he was to become one of the founding members of Blacks in Government. Throughout his life he openly expressed his opposition to racial and economic injustice and after leaving the Commissioned Corp he worked as a psychotherapist primarily focused on helping individuals, especially our youth who were adversely impacted by racism and poverty, to develop themselves to their fullest potential. In 2014 Dr. Ron was inducted into the Washington D.C. Hall of Fame with The Legacy Award in Health. He was active and particularly proud of his membership in the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He leaves to mourn Marjorie Borders, a friend for 57 years and partner for the last 31 years. He is also mourned by his daughter, Janiene; his sons, Dwight (Lisa Askerneese) and Mark (Melane); his grandchildren, Dwight II, Mark Jr., and Marleigh; his sister, Sylvia Hollie; his nephew Robert Morris, III (Rhoda); grandnephews, Robert, IV, and Richard; grandnieces Raquel and Raina; his cousins Anthony Altemus and Ava Sloan; and his godson Kwasi Sneed. He also leaves to mourn, a host of other family and friends, especially Walter Thaxton, Gratten Betancourt (Evelyn), and the entire adoptive Betancourt family. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Augustine Catholic Church at 15th and V Streets Northwest Washington DC on Thursday December 3, 2020 at 11 a.m. Visitation is set to begin at 10 a.m. and interment will be at 2 p.m. at the Quantico National Cemetery. Due to the Covid pandemic, attendance at the services will be limited. The 11 a.m. Mass will, however, be live-streamed on Facebook and recorded. A live link to the Mass will be made available.The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Augustine Catholic Church at 15th and V Streets Northwest Washington DC on Thursday December 3, 2020 at 11 a.m. Visitation is set to begin at 10 a.m. and interment will be at 2 p.m. at the Quantico National Cemetery. Due to the Covid pandemic, attendance at the services will be limited. The 11 a.m. Mass will, however, be live-streamed on Facebook and recorded. A live link to the Mass will be made available.