Ronnie "Ron" Lynn Weldon

Ronnie Lynn Weldon (Ron) passed with dignity and grace from this world on May 20, embraced by his loving wife, LouAnn, and his sister, LaNette Zimmerman. The past two years found Ron coping with multiple health issues that became increasingly challenging and complex. He reached his repose at Mayo Hospital in La Crosse after a brief stay there.

Ron was born in 1946, in Batesville, Arkansas to Eugene Adron James and Martha Lee (Arnold) Weldon. He spent his childhood in Arkansas and Texas before moving to Wisconsin in 1962. He graduated from Logan High School in 1964 where he was on the football, baseball, and curling teams. He attended college in Texas and returned to La Crosse to work at Trane Company and serve in the National Guard. He spent several years in New Mexico as a manager and salesman in the car business. His lifetime career as an entrepreneur spanned many start-up companies, from uniquely designed tee-shirts for Native American celebrations to the successful Custom DocKing, a local developer and builder of marinas and private docks along the Mississippi River and other nearby waterways.

Ron was a big, gentle man, known for his kindness, his generosity of spirit, and his honesty. He was a quiet and good person, whose word was worthy of great trust. While he had a quick engineer’s mind and was a smart problem-solver -- always able to see a solution at the end of a complicated situation and quickly solve the most difficult Sudoku puzzles -- he was also funny and easy to be around. His colorful stories of high adventures, and even some misadventures, amused his many friends. He forgave quickly, often before those who needed forgiveness realized that they should ask for it. 

One of Ron’s proudest sports accomplishments was his history of high-scoring games in bowling. He has American Bowling Congress certified games of 298, 299, and 300 along with a high series of 854. Bowling was a social as well as a skill game for Ron, and he participated in Team National Tournaments multiple times with his La Crosse teammates. He also loved to snowmobile and was part of a group of friends who enjoyed many of Wisconsin’s finest and most naturally beautiful trails, traveling along the way from freezing as they rode to warming in the best bars on the circuit.

He built the marina known as Ron & Rusty’s Rendezvous on French Island where resident boaters became life-long friends. For years, Ron was a member of an informal and often irreverent group of boating funsters known as the Dock Busters, who worked their way from that marina to others up and down the river, having fun and creating memories of good times with great friends.

His retirement gave him enjoyable time with family and friends, winters in Arizona, and the opportunity to spend more time with his beloved LouAnn. Theirs is a love story written in events that began with their initial meeting arranged by a mutual friend, to a surprise proposal while they were “supposed” to be bowling, to a beach wedding in Mexico, and on through the years to a 25th anniversary on May 7. An example of Ron’s devotion to LouAnn can be found in this small excerpt of his tribute to her, written on the occasion of their 20th anniversary: “I cannot imagine a better, more caring, loving person to be on this trip (of life) with. She sees the good in everything and person, even when there is none. We do not know what eternity holds, but I could only know heaven if I can continue the journey with her.” They shared the happiest of times and the challenges that life brings, including LouAnn being Ron’s devoted caregiver during his last year of life.

Ron was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and great-uncle. He is survived by, in addition to his wife LouAnn (Eckman): his sister LaNette (Weldon) Zimmerman; his two daughters, Nicole Delight Martin (Matthew) and Tara Lynn Kehr (Aaron); step-daughter Melissa Ann (Nichols) Delaney (Todd); seven grandchildren, Grant Matthew Martin, Hope Delight Martin, Jaden Ellen Walker, Jaxon James Lee Flores, Marissa Ann Delaney, Alyssa Ann Delaney, and Nicholas Robert Delaney; step-grandchildren, Kaiden Jacob Kehr and Elizabeth Marie Kehr; brother-in-law Gary Allen (El Jane) Eckman; sisters-in-law Audrey Jean (Eckman) Holland and Carol Lynette (Eckman) Sill (Steve); niece, Leigh Zimmerman; great-niece Cayleigh Capaldi; and numerous step-nieces and nephews, as well as step-grand-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family expresses its deep appreciation for the gentle and expert care provided by the nurses and doctors of the Mayo Clinic Intensive Care Unit, as well as the members of his Palliative Care Team, whose collective efforts on his behalf made his final days better and eased his path. The family is indebted to them for their integrity, sincerity, and professionalism.

A Celebration of Ron’s wonderful life will be held on Thursday, May 26 at 1PM at Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home, 200 West Avenue South, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601: (608) 782-1252. Visitation will be at noon. An informal family-and-friends reception will be held at Ron and LouAnn’s home from 3-5PM. Online guestbook is available at www.schumacher-kish.com. Donation in Ron's honor can be made to the National Kidney Foundation (Kidney.org). 

In honor of Ron, have a shot of his favorite, Crown Royal!