Ronald Sattin

Ronald "Ron" Sattin, born July 20, 1940, in South Philadelphia, lived a life that was equal parts humor, heart, and a headstrong spirit.
In South Philly, "Ronnie" made friends easily and kept them for life. He grew up alongside his beloved twin siblings, Larry and Joyce. Seven years older, Ron truly was their big brother — protective, watchful, and always looking out for them, something they would readily confirm. When he wasn't with them, he was spending summers living in Atlantic City, rooming with friends, making fudge and bussing tables. Not bad for a young, independent teen.
From early on, Ron liked an audience. At 13, he would leave school, jump on the Market Street train, and despite being underage, sneak into the Philadelphia TV studio to dance on Bandstand before it became national television. Oh, the stories — and he loved the "fame" that came with dancing on TV, even if he wasn't quite as famous as some. He attended South Philadelphia High School with Chubby Checker, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian. He knew them. Whether they knew him remains an open question.
In high school, Ron excelled in gymnastics under coach Carlo Galletta, performing on the mats, bars, pommel horse, and rings. More than sixty years later, he was still telling stories of his gym days and "Mr. Galletta," a name permanently imprinted in the minds of his children.
Ron was also school president in junior high — a title he never relinquished and never stopped mentioning well into his 80s.
He attended West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University). There remains some mystery surrounding his final week of senior year, when he declined to take his last final exam despite his professor's pleas. He had already secured a sales job and was ready to move on. He appeared in the yearbook and continued receiving alumni magazines for decades, so the family has chosen to believe he graduated.
Ron served honorably in the U.S. Army and was discharged in 1964. In September 1963, he married the love of his life, Ruth. Their marriage lasted 57 years until Ruth's passing in 2020. A highlight was their joyful 50th anniversary celebration in 2013 — an evening Ron thoroughly enjoyed, especially as one of its featured dance personalities.
He built a career in carpet sales and was once named Salesman of the Year. But Ron was never limited to one path. In the early 1970s, he launched Ron Sattin's Funky Window Shades, complete with a shade-making contraption that filled every inch of the family garage. The shades featured cartoons and slogans and proved slightly too funky for the general public. The business was short-lived but memorable.
His creative pursuits continued. He placed an ad in the National Enquirer titled "A Penny for Your Thoughts," offering a piece of his poetry for one dollar. First-year revenue totaled one dollar. One woman responded. She did not request a second poem.
He later created a bumper sticker business with slogans featuring "The Road Rager," a cartoon character holding a whip while attempting to tame aggressive drivers. As a lifelong salesman who spent countless hours on the road, Ron had little patience for reckless driving. The public, however, had roughly the same level of patience for his bumper sticker humor. He made thousands of stickers. He sold a few dozen —maybe.
While raising his family in Shillington, PA, Ron enjoyed fishing and the solitude it provided. He loved the Phillies, the Eagles, Penn State football, and later cruising the Caribbean with Ruth and longtime friends. In later years he embraced social media under the name "SalPhillySat" (South Philly Sattin), creating cartoons and daily posts. He would spend hours crafting a single post — and if one person laughed, the effort was worthwhile.
Ron was an honest man. When cable television first appeared and premium channels mysteriously showed up on the family TV without payment, he repeatedly contacted the cable company to report the error — to the horror of his children. If you weren't paying for it, you shouldn't be watching it. That was simply who he was.
In their early 50s, Ron and Ruth moved to the Jersey Shore town of Manahawkin and became boaters, at least in name. All the navigation research, training courses, and preparation would pay off — or so you'd think. Ron was a nervous nellie on the high seas (er, the calm bay), deciding his comfort zone was looking at the boat docked behind the house. A bigger boat naturally followed but offered no solace. And so concluded the brief era of Captain Ron and First Mate Ruth. But what they truly found in Manahawkin was more valuable: close friends, shared dinners, and a neighborhood camaraderie.

After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, changes began to emerge. What first seemed like capriciousness became Alzheimer's disease. Doctors predicted a ten-year battle. Ron, stubborn as ever, made it fourteen.
Even as memories faded, his desire to entertain remained. He moved to memory care and was comfortable and content, occasionally putting on dance performances for very attentive audiences — they had nowhere to be, after all. Despite the disease, he spent his final years completing word searches at remarkable speed, his children often struggling to keep up with new puzzle books. And he never forgot his dancing days, his gym stories and his old friends.
Ron is survived by his loving sister Joyce; his children Brad (Kathy), Cheryl (Chris), and Darrell; four grandchildren Patrick, Sarah, Christian, and Sean; and extended family.
Ron was not a perfect man. He could be stubborn, challenging, and occasionally a handful. But he loved his family and friends, worked endlessly to find and share humor, and lived an honorable and worthwhile life on his own terms.
Ron passed away on February 16, 2026 at the age of 85. He leaves behind laughter, memories, and the reminder that effort — especially the effort to make someone laugh or smile — always matters. He'll remain in our hearts.