Ronald A. Carl

Friend, father, neighbor Ronald A. Carl, 84, passed away at 8:10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

He was born in Shamokin, Sept. 25, 1938. He was raised on a farm until age 5 when he became a foster child and lived in different locations in Shamokin, Milton and Danville.

Ron stayed at the Rine farm, in Mooresburg, and met Mack Rine. Mack was older than Ron, but he became a lifelong friend. Ron was thankful to all the Rines.

When he was 17 years old he was driving his car at the start of eighth grade at the Mooresburg one-room schoolhouse.

On Oct. 17, 1955, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was trained in aircraft maintenance. His first permanent duty station was Mount Fuji, Japan, for 14 months. His next assignment was to Cherry Point, North Carolina, where he became a crew chief on a Fairchild C119 flying boxcar.

Ron received his GED in 1957. On Sept. 9, 1961, he married Mitzi Mentch, and they had a son, Matthew Carl in 1962.

Ron was discharged from the Marines in 1965, and took a position at Warren Field, in Washington, North Carolina. Ron worked for and earned his A+E license and a private pilot's license.

Ron returned to the military in June 1967 with the U.S. Army for aviation. He attended warrant officers' school and pilot training at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for Kiowa, UN Huey and Chinook helicopters and single/twin engine fixed-wing aircraft. Numerous schools and classes later he became a warrant officer 1 pilot and maintenance officer. Ron did two tours of duty in Vietnam in 1969 and 1971, Recovery and Smoky. He retired after 22 years in the military from Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 1979.

Ron's wife, Mitzi, liked to travel and they took three months to go to Alaska, Canada and the northern U.S.. They enjoyed visiting extended family, friends and neighbors at destinations in the U.S. and Knoebels.

Ron attended Williamsport Area Community College and was on the dean's list (For A and B, not the other list!). He flew for Conemaugh Medical Center, in Johnstown, Geisinger, in Danville, and Duke, in North Carolina, before retiring in 1996.

Mitzi got cancer in 2005, and she had numerous treatments that ultimately did not cure her. She wanted to stay at home and not go to the hospital, so Dad took care of her at home before she died Dec. 12, 2010.

Ron drove for the American Cancer Society, and took local people for doctor visits in later life. He also enjoyed traveling to visit extended family and friends. He was dating Cheryl Mazeikas, of Elysburg, when he died. To sum it up, Dad was a character that had character and was liked and loved by many people.

Surviving are a son, Matthew Carl, of Danville; a brother, Ted and Renee Carl, of Harrisburg; a sister-in-law, Susan Carl, of Philadelphia; a sister, Pat Johnson, of Wyalusing; a sister, Ellisa and Philip Hodnett, of Alabama; a brother, Gary Carl, of Trevorton; a sister-in-law, Mary and Marvin Clark, of South Carolina; a brother-in-law, Pete Shaffer; a brother-in-law, Bill and Cheryl Mentch; a brother-in-law, Carl and Louise Mentch, of Danville; numerous half, quarter and adopted siblings; friends that are like family, lots of nieces and nephews (They are a fertile bunch!); cousins; and good friends.

Ron is preceded in death by his wife, Mitzi Carl; Ruth Hugo, Laurence Carl, James Carl, Dot Shaffer, Chapin Mentch, Chris, Carl and Maurice Geary, and others who are missed by extended family.

Ron is being cremated and there will be no viewing, but a memorial for family and friends will be held in June.