Ronald A. Katz

March 10, 1936 - March 28, 2025 A life of family, philanthropy and innovation...Ronald A. Katz, a great humanitarian and pioneering figure in the field of telecommunications and a prolific inventor whose work revolutionized how we communicate today, passed away peacefully on March 28th. His life and achievements have left an indelible mark on the world, and his legacy will continue to influence future generations.
Ron was born on March 10, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Mickey and Grace (Epstein) Katz. When Ron was 8 years old, Mickey and Grace moved the family, including his older brother Joel (Grey), to Los Angeles. Ron attended Overland Avenue Elementary School and, after spending a year at Louis Pasteur Junior High, transferred to the newly opened Palms Junior High School. Even at a young age, Ron showed a natural aptitude for leadership. In ninth grade, he was elected the first student body president of Palms Junior High, and at Los Angeles High School, he joined the Dragons, a prominent high school fraternity. It was there, while serving as President of the Boys Senior Club, that Ron met Madelyn "Maddie" Guttelman, the woman who would become the love of his life. But it wasn't until they both went on to UCLA as undergraduates that Ron finally made his move!
At UCLA, Ron was a proud member of ZBT, and Maddie belonged to AEPhi. The couple married during their junior year on December 16, 1956. A year later, they welcomed their first son, Randall ("Randy"), and in 1962, Todd was born, completing their family.
Throughout junior high, high school, and college, Ron was known for his incredible work ethic. He boxed chocolates at See's Candy, organized Christmas tree lots, and even drove an ambulance. His professional journey began immediately after college as a junior accountant working on the Shasta Dam for Guy F. Atkinson Construction. Ron, Maddie, and baby Randy lived in a trailer for eight months, enduring the heat and cold, but cherishing their small, close-knit family life. After a brief stint at Franklin Factors, Ron secured a position as a contract administrator at Bendix Corporation. There, he began delving into computer technology, recognizing the immense potential of the emerging digital age. Alongside his Bendix colleague, Bob Goldman, Ron co-founded Telecredit, the first online check approval business. In 1961, with the help of Morton ("Morty") Globus, Ron and Bob took Telecredit public. The company was sold to Equifax in 1990.
Ron's true passion, however, lay in technology and invention. In the 1970s, he turned his focus to telecommunications, identifying vast opportunities for innovation. During this time, he developed a series of patents that would revolutionize automated customer service and telephony, and breakthroughs in magnetic strip and counterfeit sensing technologies. Over the course of his career, Ronald A. Katz was awarded more than 90 patents and granted over 250 licenses, many of which are still in use today. His work has earned him numerous accolades, and his expertise was frequently sought after by industry leaders. Ron's groundbreaking inventions have played a pivotal role in shaping the technologies that millions of people rely on every day.
Ron held his family above all else. He cherished 53 wonderful years of marriage with his beloved wife and best friend, Maddie, before her passing in 2009. His love and devotion extended deeply to his sons and their families: Randy and Kathy, with their children Joe and Sarah Katz, and Todd and Dana, who share Todd's children Hailey and Sean Katz and Dana's daughters Gracen and Sara Evall. Nothing brought Papa Ron more joy than being surrounded by his family, especially when traveling together-whether fishing in the pristine waters of British Columbia or relaxing on the beaches of Hawaii, where he treasured special time with each grandchild. Ron also leaves behind his older brother, Joel (Grey), along with Joel's children, Jennifer and James. He is survived by Maddie's nieces-Alanna and Jody Chasin, and Aviva (Rob) Maloney.
Ron's dedication to philanthropy was a defining aspect of his life. In the 1950s and 60s, he served as a camp counselor and director at The Y, proudly taking on the challenge of the White Rag, and played a pivotal role in the construction of the Westside Family Y in 1970. In 2009, he and his close friend, Jim Collins, made lead gifts to fund the creation of the Collins & Katz Family Y, which opened its doors in 2017. His deep love for The Y and its mission was passed down to his children and grandchildren, becoming a cornerstone of the entire family's philanthropic and volunteer efforts.
Together Ron and Maddie provided seed funding for many initiatives at UCLA including 3 Wishes and the UCLA AIDS Institute and Care Center, established the Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music at UCLA and funded the construction of "Maddie's Room" at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA. After Maddie's passing, Ron created the Maddie Katz Endowed Chair in Palliative Medicine, a position held by the Katz family's beloved friend, Dr. Tom Strouse. One of Ron and Maddie's most significant philanthropic legacies was the founding of UCLA Health's Operation Mend in 2007. For his tireless dedication to this cause, Ron was honored with numerous prestigious awards, including the Secretary of the Army's Public Service Award, the Army's "Strength of the Nation" Award, the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Secretary of the Navy, and the Order of Military Medical Merit.
In addition to his family, Ron and Maddie were blessed by special relationships with Ferdi (Kay) Taygan and Robbie (Sara) Venter. Ferdi and Robbie each spent extensive time living in the Katz family home, were married in the Katz's backyard, and provided so much joy to Ron and Maddie. Ron also deeply valued his daily conversations with his dear friend and trusted CFO, Jack Ban. The two bonded over their shared passions for the bond market, horse racing, fishing, and, of course, In-N-Out Burger. He will also be fondly remembered by Ron and Maddie's lifelong travel companions and best friends, Frankie and Joel Berger, and by his longtime special friend, Maddy Gordon.
Ronald A. Katz's passing is a profound loss to his family and to our community. As we reflect on his life, we celebrate his achievements and the positive influence he had on the world. His memory will live on through the countless lives he touched and the advancements he made possible. Ron will be remembered not only as an innovator and inventor but also as a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, friend and philanthropist who dedicated his life to making the world a better place.
The family wishes to express its deepest gratitude to Ron's assistant, Leslie Morodomi, for 37 years of keeping Ron and the whole Katz clan organized, to his caring doctors, Tom Strouse, Larry Froch and Bruce Samuels, and to his loving caregivers, Blanca, Martin, Hector, Francis, Michael, Esau, Joel and Rudy whose professionalism and friendship made the last more difficult years so much easier for Ron to bear.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Ron at 5:00 PM on Saturday, April 19th at Stephen Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive, LA CA 90077. Instead of flowers, the Katz family asks for donations in Ron's honor to either the Ronald Katz Campership Fund at The Collins & Katz Family Y (https://www.ymcala.org/ronald-katz-campership-fund) or to the new UCLA Health Palliative Care Program for Patients Facing Cancer (https://www.uclahealth.org/cancer/ronkatz).